The Pittsburgh Pirates core of infielders has some exciting pop but could be considered a unit that is incomplete overall.
For the last couple of seasons, the Pirates have struggled to find an everyday first baseman. The acquisition for Spencer Horwitz in December of 2024 was met with some critical feedback, as the Pirates gave up pitcher Luis Ortiz in the trade for a player who was going to require wrist surgery and not be ready for the beginning of the season. Although he still has a lot to prove, the Pirates have already won the Horwtiz trade. Ortiz had great potential but may never play again after being indicted for rigging pitches, and Horwitz performed well as the Buccos first baseman in 2025 once he was cleared medically to play.
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Ryan O’Hearn figures to have a prominent role at first as well, but with the way the team is currently constructed, it seems that he may be playing more in the outfield than originally envisioned. In MLB.com’s list of projected Opening Day lineups, O’Hearn was slated to play left field while Horwitz was at first base. Marcell Ozuna could also see time at first when he’s not serving as the team’s designated hitter, adding additional power to this spot in the lineup. This is the first time this position has had this kind of depth since Carlos Santana was with the team.
Second base also looks like a spot that is pretty cut and clear personnel wise. The Pirates went out and got Brandon Lowe in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and immediately upgraded the position far beyond the caliber that they’ve had arguably since Neil Walker was with the club. Lowe was an All-Star in 2025 who had 31 homers and 83 RBIs with a slash line of .256/.307/.784 with a slugging percentage of .477 as well. Lowe was ranked as the seventh best second baseman in baseball heading into this year.
Shortstop is a position that has some question marks surrounding it because of the possibility that top prospect Konnor Griffin could be occupying that spot. Griffin is the unanimous top prospect in baseball right now and is already turning heads in Bradenton as a non-roster invitee to big league Spring Training. However, the Pirates have been notoriously slow with rookies, especially with ones that they want to maintain team control over, so it’s anyone’s guess as to when Griffin will actually start his career in Pittsburgh.
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If not Griffin on Opening Day, the team will look to Nick Gonzales to take the reins at shortstop. Gonzales spent a majority of his 2025 season at second base, but made the move over after Isiah Kiner-Falefa was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays. With that being said Gonzales has spent enough time at short in the past and is more than a capable defender at the position. While Gonzales is not the weakest link in the Pirates’ lineup as an infielder, he certainly does not have the same pop as his counterparts on the other side of the field. Gonzales had an average year at the plate in 2025, but has not to this point looked like the top hitter he was at New Mexico State.
Currently, the lone option the Buccos have at third base is long time utility man Jared Triolo. The former Gold Glove Award winner is a great defender who can play virtually anywhere on the field, but will likely spend most of his time at third in 2026 given the lack of other players that can fill that role. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s, Jason Mackey, told 93.7 The Fan Pittsburgh that the Pirates’ search for another third baseman continues but has cooled since entering Spring Training.
Triolo is more than capable of being the team’s everyday third baseman for the entirety of the season, but he is by far the worst hitter from this infield group. With that being said his defensive prowess outshines anyone on the entire team so his presence should not be viewed as a negative. More consistency in the lineup could be beneficial to Triolo looking to take the next step in his career offensively.
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Overall this infield group has some nice pieces, but is not without its question marks. The lack of depth at third base could become an issue if Triolo goes down with an injury but this is still a group that should be able to contribute heavily to a lineup that is in dire need of more offense. Look for this group as a whole to take a big leap forward in 2026.
