{"id":126506,"date":"2026-07-22T22:32:57","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T02:32:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=126506"},"modified":"2026-07-22T22:35:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T02:35:39","slug":"khristian-curtis-pirates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/07\/22\/khristian-curtis-pirates\/","title":{"rendered":"Khristian Curtis Should Remain a Starter in Pirates\u2019 Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the Pittsburgh Pirates consider their long-term plans, they should allow Khristian Curtis<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>to remain a starting pitcher, even after looking comfortable during his major-league debut out of the bullpen. <\/span><\/p>\n

The temptation to change course is understandable. <\/span>Curtis entered during a bullpen game against the Cleveland Guardians and delivered five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out four. He retired the final 11 batters he faced and produced the longest scoreless relief appearance by a pitcher making his Pirates debut since<\/span> Steve Blass<\/a><\/span> in 1964.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pittsburgh optioned him back to Triple-A Indianapolis the following day, but the performance created an obvious question. With the Pirates searching for dependable relief innings during a postseason race, should Curtis stay in the bullpen when his next opportunity arrives? <\/span>For now, the answer should be no.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Khristian Curtis Showed More Than Bullpen Value<\/b><\/h2>\n

Curtis did not simply survive his first major-league appearance. He controlled it. <\/span>The 24-year-old attacked with a five-pitch mix, landed his cutter for strikes and used his slider to finish hitters. After allowing consecutive hits during his second inning of work, he escaped the threat and struck out the side in the next frame. His ability to adjust and continue working deep into the game looked more like a starter\u2019s outing than a short-relief audition.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Khristian Curtis punches out four over five scoreless innings in is MLB debut \ud83d\udca5@Pirates<\/a> | @YoungBucsPIT<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/xz4P8qDiEh<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 19, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n