Many of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ biggest upgrades help their offense, but many question how their defense will look. Brandon Lowe had double-digit negative defensive runs saved and outs above average at second base. Marcell Ozuna is strictly a designated hitter at this point of his career. Him DH’ing means that fellow free agent signee Ryan O’Hearn will likely see more time in right field, where he has -11 DRS and -3 OAA in 634 career innings. That means Bryan Reynolds will spend most of his 2026 in PNC Park’s spacious left field.
The Pirates were a strong defensive team in 2025. They ranked top ten among all 30 teams in defensive runs saved, outs above average, and fielding runs. While bringing in so many positives in the line-up may mean taking a hit defensively, the Pirates still have plenty of players that should inspire some confidence in the team’s defensive capabilities.
Konnor Griffin
Getting excited about Konnor Griffin is one of the easiest things a Pirates fan can do right now. If it weren’t for the .333 batting average, 70-grade power, 165 wRC+, or elite baserunning, then it’s the outstanding defense at shortstop. Griffin projects to be a plus defender up the middle, both by MLB Pipeline and Baseball America. For reference, Baseball America considers a plus fielder someone on the level of Marcus Semien at second base, who ranks sixth in baseball in DRS, and OAA. His 70-80-grade speed means he has elite range, and his 70-grade arm means that he’ll be able to make strong throws, even from deep in the hole.
Oneil Cruz
Now why would Pirates fans show confidence in Oneil Cruz after he had -14 DRS last year in center field? Well outs above average didn’t hate his performance, at zero, and he had +4 fielding run value. He also worked hard this offseason with Kevin Kiermaier, one of the best defensive outfielders of all-time, and arguably the best defensive outfielder of this generation. Nobody is more qualified to teach outfield defense than Kiermaier. He had some promising words to say on Cruz’s development as well.
Jake Mangum
Jake Mangum was one of the players the Pirates acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays, alongside Brandon Lowe. The rookie saw playing time at all three outfield positions, and had +3 DRS and +6 OAA over 933.1 innings. He was also in the 63rd percentile of arm strength, so his arm will play anywhere in the outfield. Mangum was in the 91st percentile of sprint speed, so he can cover plenty of grass. Overall, he was in the 79th percentile of fielding run value.
Jared Triolo
Having Jared Triolo around should make Pirates fans feel fine about the infield defense. He has played all four infield positions throughout his MLB career. He grades out as average or well above average at any position he is asked to play. Triolo’s best position is third base, where he has +13 DRS and +9 OAA over 1096.2 innings. His worst is shortstop, where he has -4 DRS, and 0 OAA in 452.2 innings. Triolo is also an above-average defender at second base and first base.
Henry Davis
When the Pirates first drafted Henry Davis first overall in 2021, he was seen as a bat-first catcher. His first experience in the Major Leagues was in right field, given the Pirates had a handful of catchers. When Davis got his first crack at behind the dish in 2024, the numbers were not good. He had -4 DRS and -2.3 framing runs in only 271.1 innings. But Davis has made some serious improvements, and had +8 DRS and +0.5 framing runs over 681.2 innings in 2025. He also went from -2 blocking runs to only -1. Now only if Davis could make the same sort of improvement with his bat this year.
