5 for 5: Homegrown Starting Rotation a ‘Point of Pride’ for Pirates

Photo provided by Matt Lynch Only one team in Major League Baseball is able to say that they have a starting rotation comprised of five homegrown players. The Pittsburgh Pirates. Mitch Keller (2nd round, 2014), Braxton Ashcraft (2nd round, 2018), Carmen Mlodzinski (Comp A round, 2020), Bubba Chandler (3rd round, 2021) and Paul Skenes (1st round 2023), were all drafted by the Pirates, developed through the organization, and now make up the team’s starting rotation.

“That’s not an easy thing to do,” said general manager Ben Cherington. “I’ve been in the game 30 years, I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of an organization that can say that. ” Eyes for Talent When Cherington took over as Pirates general manager after the 2019 season, one thing immediately stood out when assessing the organization for which he was now in charge of making all the major roster decisions.

The Pirates knew how to draft pitchers. “One of the things that was very clear to me right away was that this organization had a high level of confidence and proven competency in identification and development of amateur pitchers,” he explained. “It’s proven out over time.

Not every organization can say that. ” Keller was drafted under former general manager Neal Huntington, as was Braxton Ashcraft. But under Cherington, the Pirates have brought in Skenes, who has emerged as perhaps the top starting pitcher in baseball, Chandler, who entered the season as one of the top pitching prospects in the sport, and Carmen Mlodzinski, who has been an effective reliever and is now showing promise as a starter.