The Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting rotation thrived in 2025, led by the best pitcher in baseball.
Paul Skenes is on pace to become an all-time great. His season was one of the best in franchise history.
Skenes
led MLB in ERA (1.97) by 21 points and finished in the top five of multiple categories.
The 23-year-old ace is the runaway favorite to win the NL Cy Young award following a historic rookie season.
Skenes finished his campaign, allowing 41 earned runs in 187.2 innings. He struck out 216 batters, the most by a right-handed starter in Pirates history.
His 0.95 WHIP and .199 opponent average ranked first and fourth in the NL, respectively.
In 55 career starts, Skenes owns a 1.96 ERA over 320.2 frames, 386 strikeouts, and a 0.95 WHIP.
Skenes posted a 1.07 ERA after August 19 but finished with a stunning final record. The team’s lone All-Star representative finished the season 10-10 overall despite all of his success.
Skenes started the All-Star Game for the second consecutive season and has posted two scoreless innings in the Mid-Summer Classic.
Mitch Keller logged the second-most innings on the team (176.1) and remains a workhorse for the Pirates staff.
Keller finished a pedestrian 6-15, but ranked tied for 16th in baseball with 17 quality starts, allowing three or fewer runs over six innings. Like Skenes, Keller fell victim to his team’s poor offensive performances.
In 32 starts, Keller delivered a 4.19 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and a .249 opponent average, his lowest ERA since 2022 (3.91).
The knock on Keller is how he closes seasons, and 2025 wasn’t much different. Following a 2.93 ERA in five July starts, Keller posted a 6.52 ERA and opponents hit .297 off him in 29 innings, spanning six outings.
He responded with a 3.98 ERA over four starts in September to close the year.
There’s a strong possibility the Pirates trade Keller for a bat in the offseason as one of their most valuable trade chips. He has three years remaining on his contract and is up to Ben Cherington to acquire a significant offensive player.
Braxton Ashcraft was the biggest surprise of the 2025 campaign. Ashcraft started eight games after beginning his career in the bullpen, making his MLB debut on May 26. He recorded a 2.71 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over 26 appearances (69.2 innings) and should be relied on as a middle-of-the-rotation starter next season.
Ashcraft earned a 2.25 ERA over his last seven games, starting five and serving as an opener. He struck out 34 and walked 11 batters in 28 innings. The 26-year-old righty battled back from Tommy John surgery to be a big piece of the pitching puzzle.
Mike Burrows also recovered from Tommy John to make his debut in the final week of 2024 and positioned himself for 23 outings the following summer.
Burrows started 19 of his 23 appearances and added more weight to the discussion that the Bucs have one of the best young pitching staffs in baseball.
He finished 2-4 with a 3.94 ERA, 97 strikeouts, 31 walks, a 1.24 WHIP, and 88 hits allowed over the season. In his final seven games, Burrows posted a 2.31 ERA and 3.82 mark over his final 15.
Johan Oviedo made his return from Tommy John on August 4 against San Francisco. It didn’t go well. Oviedo allowed two runs and walked three in only one inning before being pulled. He threw 43 pitches and 23 for strikes.
The Pirates sent him to the minors before returning to Pittsburgh and pitching well. Oviedo allowed two or fewer runs in seven of his final eight starts, pitching at least 4.2 innings in all but one.
Oviedo finished with a 3.57 ERA through 40.1 innings with 42 pinch outs and a 1.21 WHIP. He looked like the Oviedo of 2023 and, at times, even better. His consistency is key, now allowing big innings to transpire on him. Oviedo made 13 quality starts in 2023 and
The No. 1 pitching prospect in baseball made his MLB debut, but a little later than expected. Bubba Chandler profiles as a top-of-the-rotation starter with Paul Skenes and donned the black and gold on August 22 vs. Colorado. He delivered four scoreless innings and three strikeouts to earn the save. In his second outing on August 27, Chandler earned his first win against the Cardinals.
There are high expectations for Chandler to be a key piece of the Pirates’ rotation. He earned a 4.02 ERA, .093 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts in 3.1 innings, only walking four batters. Chandler’s upside is significant, with a 100 mph fastball and a solid slider. I think it’s more than likely that Chandler will be in the starting rotation to begin 2026 with Pittsburgh after an impressive 2025 debut.
Forget About Me?
Andrew Heaney finished third on the team in innings (120.1) and was let go after a disastrous stint in the bullpen.
Following a great start with a 2.61 ERA in five April starts, Heaney earned ERAs of 4.74, 5.57, 9.00, and 10.13 in each of the following months before the Pirates let him go. He finished with a 5.39 ERA in 26 games (23 starts).
Bailey Falter was one of the Bucs’ most durable starters the past two seasons before being traded at the deadline to the Royals for infielder Cam Devanney. It was puzzling to see the Pirates trade Falter (3.73 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) as a controllable lefty successful at PNC Park.
Thomas Harrington made one start, as well as two appearances out of the bullpen, but faltered in his limited opportunities and could return to the majors next season.
Jared Jones underwent elbow surgery and never pitched. His future may be in the bullpen and could return to the majors around June as a de facto trade acquisition.
The Pirates have a ton of work to do to add offensive pieces. Their rotation in 2026, under the presumption that Keller is traded, looks like Skenes, Chandler, Ashcraft, Oviedo, and a lefty addition. Regardless, the Pirates’ pitching staff is strong enough to take them far, if they can only fix the offense.
