Breakout candidate
JT Brubaker, the team’s 2018 minor league pitcher of the year, started last season in the bullpen before moving into the starting rotation when Mitch Keller went on the injured list. After missing most of the 2019 season with forearm issues, Brubaker went 1-3 with a 4.94 ERA and 1.37 WHIP last season but threw the most innings (47 1/3) and had the most strikeouts per nine innings (9.1) of any returning starter, showing durability and effectiveness.
Pressure’s on
Tyler Anderson signed a one-year deal for $2.5 million, making him the highest-paid pitcher on the staff. The lefty has a funky pause in his delivery but is an innings eater who threw 59 2/3 in 11 starts last season, when he went 4-3 with a 4.37 ERA for the San Francisco Giants. The Pirates need Anderson to carry them deep into games early, which could help them flip him for prospects at the trade deadline.
By the numbers
29 — Pitchers the Pirates used last season, which tied four teams for third-most in the majors, behind Miami (38) and Boston (30).
225 — Career starts by 33-year-old Trevor Cahill, which is 48 more than fellow Pirates starters Tyler Anderson (82), Chad Kuhl (70), Mitch Keller (16) and JT Brubaker (nine) combined.
249 — Walks by Pirates pitchers last season, the most in the National League and third most in the majors behind Boston (252) and Toronto (250).
