Pirates’ Homegrown Rotation Shines as a Source of Pride
The Pittsburgh rotation is unique in modern baseball.
All five starters were drafted and developed by the Pirates.
| Player | Draft | MLB milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Mitch Keller | 2nd round, 2014 | MLB debut, 2019 |
| Braxton Ashcraft | 2nd round, 2018 | Big-league debut (May) |
| Carmen Mlodzinski | Comp A, 2020 | Made debut, 2023 |
| Bubba Chandler | 3rd round, 2021 | First MLB appearances (August) |
| Paul Skenes | 1st round, 2023 | National League Rookie of the Year |
Front office vision
Ben Cherington became general manager after the 2019 season.
He found a system skilled at spotting pitching talent.
Neal Huntington drafted Keller and Ashcraft earlier.
Cherington later added Skenes, Chandler and Mlodzinski to the pipeline.
Four pillars of roster building
Cherington stressed identification, acquisition, development and deployment.
Those areas guided the club’s pitching strategy.
Athletic profiles and scouting
The five pitchers share notable athletic backgrounds.
Skenes played catcher in college before focusing on pitching.
Chandler once planned to play quarterback at Clemson.
Ashcraft starred as a high school wide receiver.
Scouts valued their athleticism.
That trait helped their transition to the big leagues.
Continuous development
Keller reached the majors first in 2019.
Mlodzinski followed in 2023 and Skenes arrived soon after.
Ashcraft and Chandler made their first big-league starts the following season.
All came up through the Pirates system together.
Coaching remains a focus.
Pitching coach Bill Murphy leads a staff assigned to individual growth.
Evolution on the roster
Players still refine repertoire and approach at the major-league level.
Coaches tailor plans for each arm.
Camaraderie and competition
The rotation is close-knit.
They often gather in the bullpen to support each other.
That bond produces healthy competition.
Pitchers push teammates while celebrating strong outings.
Members view sharing the rotation as a source of pride.
That homegrown rotation shines through their on-field results.
On-field results
The staff has produced strong numbers.
Entering a recent game against the Chicago Cubs, the club posted a 2.87 ERA.
At that time, the Pirates ranked fifth in MLB and third in the National League.
The results underline the organization’s development approach.
Front-office and coaching decisions created this staff.
The franchise now boasts a rotation built from within.
Reporting for Filmogaz.com.
