Paul Skenes on Pirates' Opening Day roster for 2026 season

Paul Skenes praised the Pittsburgh Pirates' Opening Day roster ahead of their March 26 game at Citi Field and highlighted a mix of new veterans, returning players and young pitchers as reasons for optimism.

Paul Skenes enters the 2026 season aiming for individual success but says team progress matters more. The Pirates finished near the bottom of the NL Central in his first two seasons. He described the current Opening Day roster as the best he has seen since his 2024 debut. The team is scheduled to open at Citi Field against the New York Mets on March 26. Key details: - Skenes said the club has "a lot of talent" and many pitchers who embrace the team's culture. - Offseason additions include free agents Ryan O'Hearn and Marcell Ozuna and a trade for Brandon Lowe, all cited as sources of added power to the lineup. - The Pirates hit an MLB-low 117 home runs last season, while O'Hearn, Ozuna and Lowe bring recent power numbers reported in the article. - The starting staff listed includes Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, rookies Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler, and Carmen Mlodzinski. - Returning contributors include Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds and Spencer Horwitz, and younger roster additions named were Nick Yorke and Billy Cook. Summary: Skenes framed the roster as a mix of veterans, returning players and prospects that supports a shared, winning culture, and he expressed readiness for the regular season. The team will begin play March 26 at Citi Field, and how the roster performs over the full season is undetermined at this time.