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Season storyline: Quinn Priester rejoins Pirates

Quinn Priester makes MLB return Former top prospect called up to majors following injury to Marco Gonzales   The Pittsburgh Pirates’ rotation to start the year he been a welcome surprise. Between Martin Perez holding a 2.55 earned run average (ERA) and Jared Jones setting the baseball world on fire to start his career, the rotation has kept them in most games this season. After Marco Gonzales landed on the injured list because of a left forearm muscle strain, Quinn Priester will be the next man up to continue the success. Priester’s first major league stint was not what Pirates’ fans had been hoping for. The former top prospect had lost some of his velocity and his good breaking stuff was not enough to make up for a fastball that was too hittable. The strikeouts were also not enough to make up for how hard he was getting hit in 2023. Albeit in a small sample size, Priester may be on the verge of a resurgence after working on those problems. After being drafted at ...
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Prospect highlight: Jared Jones

The other flamethrower Pirates' Jared Jones makes opening day roster after impressive spring training By Aidan Treu   The Pirates have been criticized in recent years for their handling of prospects, namely bringing up top prospects too late for the fans’ liking. That will not be the case for Jared Jones. With all eyes on Paul Skenes, Jones has somewhat quietly become a very fascinating fireballer himself. Whether Jones would start the season with the Indianapolis Indians, the Pirates AAA affiliate, or the MLB team was up in the air heading into spring training. The righty forced his way onto the team by tossing 16 1/3 innings of scoreless ball and striking out 15 while allowing nine hits and eight walks in Grapefruit League play. The 2020 44 th overall pick has no shortage of flashy stuff on the mound. Jones hit 98 mph with his fastball as early as his first spring training start this year, hitting that number five times out of eight fastballs during the short outing. P...
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Prospect highlight: Quinyon Mitchell

University of Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell could team up with Joey Porter Jr. to create a lockdown Steelers secondary By Aidan Treu   If Quinyon Mitchell is available at pick 20 in the upcoming NFL draft, it might not take long for the Steelers to get their pick in. His recent meteoric rise up draft boards may prevent him from falling to 20. However, a bit of a fall down the board or potentially a trade-up could bring the Steelers one of the better cornerback duos in football. At six-foot-tall and 195 pounds, his size is not the biggest draw or reason for increased interest. His 40-yard dash time is a different story. At 4.33 seconds, Mitchell is firmly among the fastest prospects in terms of straight-line speed. We have seen blazing speed not translate to level NFL level more than a few times, but Mitchell has shown more than just that. The cornerback also put up impressive numbers on the bench press, repping 225 pounds 20 times. After the combine, it is clear ...
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Pirates extend Mitch Keller through 2028 season

Pirates, Mitch Keller agree on five year, $77 million extension By Aidan Treu   The Pirates and starting pitcher Mitch Keller agreed to an extension through the 2028 season this morning.  It has been a big year for Mitch Keller.  Just under a full year ago, he was named an Opening Day starter for the first time. He went on to have arguably the best season of his career. In 2023, the starter went 13-9 and pitched to the tune of a 3.80 fielding independent pitching (FIP) and 105 earned run average+ (ERA+). His 210 strikeouts were by far the most of his career. Jeff Passan broke the news earlier today, announcing Keller will be locked up with no options until he is 32. The right-handed pitcher was also announced as Pittsburgh's Opening Day starter this week. It will be the first time since 2015-2016 that the Pirates will have the same Opening Day starting pitcher for at least two years in a row. Keller's career has been defined by hardships after breaking into ...
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Senior Bowl takeaways part 2: Three players the Steelers should be looking into

Three players stand out as potential fits for Steelers at Senior Bowl By Aidan Treu   A quarterback and two offensive lineman showed during the week of practice and culminating Feb. 3 Reese's Senior Bowl game in Mobile, Ala. why Steelers' scouts should be paying attention. South Carolina University quarterback Spencer Rattler Rattler raised his draft stock as much as anyone else during the week of practices and the game. The former five-star recruit has had an up-and-down collegiate career, but his performance during the Senior Bowl turned some heads. The 6-foot-1 signal caller displayed his oft-discussed arm talent during practices, showing his ability to drive the ball outside the numbers and hit receivers with good velocity on his throws. The Senior Bowl game showed he will take what is given to him but he isn’t afraid to take shots. Three of his four completions were check-downs, but all three went for good yardage. His touchdown throw to Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint...
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