The front end of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rotation is pretty much set for 2027. Paul Skenes, Braxton Ashcraft, and Bubba Chandler make up the Pirates’ top three starters. Mitch Keller could return next year, so long as he heals from his shoulder injury without setback. However, the fifth spot of the rotation could be up for grabs. Jared Jones or Carmen Mlodzinski could fill it, but the Pirates have multiple prospects that could play a role in their rotation in 2027.
Khristian Curtis
Khristian Curtis was a 12th-round pick by the Pirates in 2023 and has developed into one of their best pitching prospects. The right-hander has struggled in the minor leagues this season, with a 4.90 ERA, 4.59 FIP, and 12.7% walk rate over 86.1 innings between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. However, he has also struck out 28.6% of batters and has made a great first impression in the Major Leagues.
Curtis has only appeared in three games, tossing 11 innings in total, but he has produced highly effective results. He has only allowed two earned runs with seven strikeouts, albeit while handing out six free passes. Curtis’ stuff has looked very good in the small sample size, sitting in the mid-90s with above-average induced vertical break. He also throws a cutter, change-up, slider, and curveball.
Wilber Dotel
Wilber Dotel is a hard-throwing right-hander who has already pitched 30.2 innings in MLB. All of his appearances in the Major Leagues have come in 16 bullpen appearances. The Pirates have used him primarily as a long reliever, and it has worked well. He owns a 4.40 ERA, with a strong 3.16 FIP and 1.34 WHIP. While Dotel has a 10.8% BB%, he has also struck out just over a quarter of opponents, with a 25.4% K%. Plus, Dotel has a 0.59 HR/9 ratio and a barrel percentage of just 3.6%.
Dotel throws hard, as he sits at 98.3 MPH with his four-seam fastball and is in the 95th percentile of fastball velocity. His secondaries include an upper-80s slider, low-90s cutter, and an upper-80s change-up. Although Dotel has been used out of the bullpen in his first look in MLB, he has primarily pitched out of the rotation throughout the minor leagues. Given how the Pirates have utilized him this year, pitching out of the rotation next season is not out of the question.
Antwone Kelly
Antwone Kelly had a massive 2025 breakout season. He has spent most of 2026 at Triple-A Indianapolis, working to a 4.24 ERA, 5.66 FIP, and 1.45 WHIP over 91.1 innings of work. He has only struck out 17.6% of batters, with a walk rate of 12.2%. Kelly has also pitched in parts of four MLB games, tallying 8.1 innings. In his first look in MLB, Kelly has allowed five earned runs, with four walks and five K’s.
Although Kelly doesn’t have impressive numbers, he has impressive stuff. His four-seam fastball averages out at 99.2 MPH in MLB this season. The right-hander will also toss an upper-80s slider, change-up, sweeper, and an upper-90s sinker. FanGraphs Stuff+ and Location+ metrics love Kelly, putting him at 116 and 111, respectively.
Connor Wietgrefe
Connor Wietgrefe takes a different approach than the previous prospects. Instead of attacking batters with velocity and stuff, Wietgrefe slows things down and is more of a finesse-and-command pitcher. He sits in the low-90s with his four-seamer and sinker, and throws a myriad of other offerings. He’ll also mix in a change-up, cutter, and slider. Wietgrefe has shown no problems throwing strikes either.
The left-hander has split his season between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis, pitching to a 3.48 ERA, 3.95 FIP, and 1.25 WHIP. He has only walked batters at an 8.1% rate, while inducing a strikeout percentage of 21.5%. The lefty is looking to end the year on a high note as well. Over his last ten starts, Wietgrefe has a sub-3.00 ERA (2.89), with a 3.41 FIP, and 1.12 WHIP.
Seth Hernandez
Here’s the one everyone is waiting for. Seth Hernandez became one of the best prospects in all of baseball in just his first year. The 2025 first-round pick worked to a 2.58 ERA, 3.48 FIP, and 1.05 WHIP over 74 innings in 2026 between A-Ball Bradenton and High-A Greensboro. Hernandez got 40.4% of opponents to strike out, while having a 35.2% called and swinging strike rate. Opposing batters hit just .181 against him. He also owned a 10.6% walk rate.
Hernandez didn’t become a top prospect just because of his performance either. The young right-hander has elite stuff. His fastball sits mid-90s, and hits triple-digits. His best pitch is his change-up, which Baseball America projects as a plus-plus, 70-grade offering. He’ll also throw a curveball and slider. Among his pitch arsenal, only his curveball does not project as a plus-or-better offering (60-grade or better). Even then, it’s an above-average, 55-grade pitch. Hernandez can also throw all of his offerings for strikes. Despite being a high school pick in 2025, Hernandez could certainly make his MLB debut sometime in 2027.
