Pirates Reveal Lineup For Spring Training Opener

The Pittsburgh Pirates begin their slate of spring training games against the Baltimore Orioles.

Nathaniel Marrero

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis (32) hits an RBI double against the Philadelphia Phillies in the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park.
Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis (32) hits an RBI double against the Philadelphia Phillies in the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
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At long last, baseball is back for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates begin their spring training slate in the Grapefruit League against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida.

Here are the lineups for the spring training opener.

Pirates:

2B Nick Gonzales
LF Joshua Palacios
C Henry Davis
DH Nick Yorke
RF DJ Stewart
1B Darick Hall
CF Billy Cook
SS Liover Peguero
3B Enmanuel Valdez
RHP Carmen Mlodzinski

Orioles:

SS Gunnar Henderson
CF Cedric Mullins
3B Jordan Westburg
DH Ryan O'Hearn
1B Ryan Mountcastle
C Gary Sanchez
2B Jackson Holiday
RF Ramon Laureano
LF Dylan Carlson
RHP Albert Suarez

Mlodzinski is looking to build on another solid season for the Pirates. He went 5-5 with a 3.38 ERA over 40 appearances, including four starts. In his 50 2/3 innings last year, the right-handed reliever struck out 46 batters.

Few players are under more pressure than catcher Henry Davis in spring training. The 2021 No. 1 overall pick has looked the part during his stint in the minor leagues, as he has posted a .290/.409/.535 slash line with 38 home runs and 124 RBIs across 181 games.

Those numbers pale in comparison to his 99 games across the 2023 and 2024 seasons in the big leagues, as he has a -2.0 bWAR while slashing .191/.283/.307 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs.

To make matters more difficult for Davis to get consistent playing time in the big leagues this season, Joey Bart is coming off of a good 2024 season and Endy Rodriguez is returning from an elbow injury. Still, the Pirates have faith in their former top pick, and Pirates manager Derek Shelton believes he can put it all together this year.

"There's no panic," Shelton said. "We know he's going to be a good player. We know he's going to be a good hitter. To his point, and to a statistical point, he has been really good at every level and sometimes there's that transition into the big leagues."

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Nathaniel Marrero
NATHANIEL MARRERO

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