In many cases, relief pitchers are former starting pitching prospects turned bullpen arms. The greatest reliever of all-time Mariano Rivera made his MLB debut as a starter. However, occasionally a notable prospect develops as a reliever first. The Pittsburgh Pirates currently have one on their hands with Brandan Bidois. The Australian right-hander came off a season in which he had an 0.74 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and 2.44 FIP over 61 innings of work. He struck out 30% of opponents, had an 11.7% walk rate, and didn’t surrender a single home run all season. Bidos was the only pitcher in the minor leagues in 2025 with a sub-1.00 ERA and WHIP in 60+ innings pitched.
He is now in Spring Training, and is putting up a great audition to try and make the Pirates’ Opening Day roster. However, the Pirates aren’t far removed from having another notable relief pitching prospect. Heading into 2021, right-hander David Bednar was considered a relief prospect worth watching, just like Bidois is now.
The Pirates had recently acquired Bednar from the San Diego Padres as part of the trade that sent Joe Musgrove to SD. Bednar had a fine 2019 season. The Renegade owned a 2.95 ERA, 2.47 FIP, and 1.16 WHIP over 58.1 innings of work. Bednar got over a third of opponents to strikeout, with a 35.8% K%, and only had a walk rate of 7.5%. He also only allowed home runs at a 0.62-per-9 ratio. Bednar briefly pitched in the Major Leagues for the Padres, but only tallied 17.1 IP in 2019 and 2020.
Bednar then went on to have the best rookie season by a Pirates reliever. In 2021, Bednar pitched to a 2.23 ERA (192 ERA+), 2.69 FIP, and 0.93 WHIP over 60.2 innings of work. Bednar’s strikeout rate translated to the Major Leagues, as he struck out nearly a third of opponents with a 32.5% strikeout rate. He also only handed out a free pass 8% of the time. The right-hander allowed very few home runs. His HR/9 was just 0.74, and he clocked in with a 5.4% barrel percentage.
Bednar’s 2021 ranks among the top three Pirates rookie relievers in ERA, ERA+, FIP, and WHIP. He is also the only rookie Bucco reliever with a sub-1.00 WHIP in at least 60 innings. His K/9 rate of 11.4 is also the best by a rookie Pirates reliever. Bednar was so good in 2021, he even received downballot National League Rookie of the Year votes, finishing eighth in voting. After that, Bednar would go on to become a shutdown closer, a two-time All-Star, and has the fifth most saves in baseball since becoming the Pirates’ closer in 2022.
Now that doesn't automatically mean pencil in Brandan Bidois for an ERA+ hovering around 200 and striking out about a third of opponents. Bednar was outright dominant in his rookie campaign and only 11 pitchers in the 2020s had an ERA+ of 190 or better in 60+ innings in their first big league season. However, the last top relief prospects the Pirates had developed into a star closer. Bidois easily has the stuff to be what Bednar was for the Pirates in 2021.
