We’re just days away from the start of June. The first month of summer means things start heating up in baseball, both literally and figuratively. Division races start tightening, and the contenders begin to separate themselves from the pretenders. The Pittsburgh Pirates have mostly treaded water thus far. Although they haven’t struggled, they seem unable to build any consistent momentum. There are definitely some players to blame for that, and ones who haven’t done enough to earn a roster spot.
These Pirates Certainly Haven’t Done Enough To Earn Their Roster Spots, and May Soon Lose Them as We Head Into the First Month of Summer
Jared Triolo
Most knew that Jared Triolo probably wasn’t going to provide much with the bat, even after ending 2025 on a high note. His calling card throughout his Major League career has been his solid or better defense at all four infield positions. Triolo has started games at shortstop, third base, and first base this season. Plus, he has over 500 career innings at second base. However, his bat isn’t even living up to his 2025 line.
It’s only been an injury-limited 69 plate appearances, but Triolo is slashing just .234/.279/.266 with a .252 wOBA, and 55 wRC+. Triolo’s 23.2% K rate is about average for him, but his 4.3% walk rate is a significant step down from last year. For reference, Triolo batted .227/.311/.356 with a .296 wOBA and 86 wRC+ last season. He also walked at a healthy 10.4% rate over 376 plate appearances. It’s not just his bottom line that is suffering, either.
Triolo posted a respectable 89 MPH last year, but that currently sits at just 85.8 MPH so far this season. His xSLG% is down by over 100 points, from .383 to .279. Triolo’s xwOBA is down by even more points, going from .310 to .248. At this point, unless Triolo averages less than one start a week, his defense will not be enough to carry him, save for a miraculous breakout at the dish.
Justin Lawrence
Justin Lawrence originally looked like an outstanding waiver claim by the Pirates. He was limited to just 17.2 innings last year due to injury, but allowed just a single earned run. Lawrence struck out a third of opponents with a 29.5% whiff rate. Although he also had a sub-par 11.6% walk rate, he made up for it by holding batters to just an 86.2 MPH exit velocity and inducing a ground ball 47.2% of the time.
The Pirates understandably expected him to take over a high-leverage role this year. Unfortunately, like many relievers in the Pirates’ bullpen, he has come well short of expectations. He has a 5.31 ERA over 20.1 innings. Although his 10.6% walk rate is a slight improvement from 2025, his K% and whiff% have dipped significantly to 20.2% and 24.3%, respectively. Lawrence is giving up far more hard contact, with an 89.3 MPH exit velocity. Although Lawrence is out of options, he is looking like the odd man out when Jared Jones returns to the Pirates’ roster.
Jake Mangum
The Pirates expected Jake Mangum to serve as a solid fourth outfielder when they acquired him alongside Brandon Lowe and Mason Montgomery. After all, he gave the Rays good outfield defense with +3 defensive runs saved and +6 outs above average. Plus, he was good enough with the stick to earn part-time play. Mangum slashed .295/.330/.368 with a 95 wRC+. Mangum didn’t hit for much power, with just three homers over 428 plate appearances, nor did he walk at a solid rate, with a 4.4% BB rate. But he only struck out 15% of the time and swiped 27 bases.
However, Mangum is batting just .253/.327/.275 with a meager 73 wRC+ over his first 103 plate appearances of the year. While he has upped his walk rate to 7.8%, his K% has also risen to 20.4%. That’s only a brief glance at how poorly his plate discipline has become this year. Mangum’s already below-average raw power has dipped even further, as his exit velocity went from 87.3 MPH to 83.3 MPH. Meanwhile, his above-average defense hasn’t translated into 2026 yet, with -1 OAA already. With both top outfield prospects Esmerlyn Valdez and Jhostynxon Garcia now in the Major Leagues, and Ryan O’Hearn seemingly making a quicker-than-expected recovery, Mangum is on the verge of losing a roster spot.
Main Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
