And his name is … Slugger.

The Pittsburgh Pirates revealed the name for the team dog on Monday.

The club introduced the pup last week, and a poll was opened for Pirates fans to vote on a name for him. Slugger emerged victorious with 31% of the vote. Bandit, Rookie and Homer came in second, third and fourth.

Slugger joins the team through a partnership between the Pirates, PNC Bank and the national nonprofit Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, which provides individually trained medical service dogs to individuals affected by permanent disabilities.

Slugger will eventually be paired with a military veteran in the Pittsburgh area after being trained for 18 months in scent, mobility skills and socialization. He’s the second service dog that the team has partnered to train — last year, the first team dog, Bucco, was successfully paired with a military veteran.

Fans can expect to catch sight of Slugger at Pirates games and community events. Engaging with fans and team members will help provide Slugger with the social activity needed to become a service dog.

My first trip to PNC Park!

It was so fun meeting the @Pirates players today and I'm excited to see all the fans tonight at the game! ????⚾️ pic.twitter.com/u5HxsOTbz2

— Pirates Pup (@PiratesPup) May 3, 2024

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---