The Pirates have several prospects in the Arizona Fall League, but Bryan Mena has separated himself from the pack.
The right-hander has been sharp for the Glendale Desert Dogs and still hasn’t allowed a run. His latest outing came on Oct. 27, when he worked 2.2 scoreless innings of relief in Glendale’s 1-0 win over Salt River. He gave up three hits and a walk, but he also struck out five.
For a pitcher trying to make a name for himself before the season wraps up, the AFL has given Mena the stage - and he’s used it well.
Mena only joined the Pirates last offseason, when Pittsburgh selected him in the AAA phase of the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 10, 2025, from the Colorado Rockies. The 22-year-old from the Dominican Republic originally signed with Colorado during the 2021 International Signing Class Period and spent five seasons in that system, reaching as high as Single-A Fresno.
His 2026 season was spent entirely at High-A Greensboro, where he went 5-4 in 22 appearances and 14 starts. Over 88.2 innings, he posted a 4.87 ERA with 70 strikeouts, 37 walks, a .262 BAA and a 1.44 WHIP.
Mena works with five pitches: a curveball, slider, sinker, four-seam fastball and changeup. He doesn’t light up the radar gun, averaging 92.5 mph on his sinker and 91.8 mph on his fastball, but his off-speed stuff has been the real weapon in Arizona. His curveball has produced a 57.1% whiff rate in the AFL, while his slider has been even nastier at 63.2%.
The profile is still a work in progress. Mena keeps his walks down, but the strikeout totals aren’t overwhelming, and hitters have done more damage than you’d want at this stage. The next step is clear: keep sharpening the command, lean on the breaking stuff, and cut down the contact.
So far in the AFL, he’s done just that. Mena has appeared in four games with two starts, logging 7.2 scoreless innings. He’s allowed nine hits and three walks while striking out 11, with a 1.57 WHIP and a .273 BAA.
His best showing before the Oct. 27 relief outing came on Oct. 20, when he threw three scoreless innings against the Surprise Saguaros in a 10-3 Glendale win. He also worked 1.2 innings in his first start, a 6-5 loss to Salt River on Oct. 13, and recorded an out in his first appearance against the Peoria Javelinas on Oct. 8.
Among Pirates pitchers in the AFL, Mena has been the clear bright spot. Zander Mueth has a 17.36 ERA, Brandon Cain sits at 12.16, Cristhian Tortosa has an 18.00 ERA and Michael Walsh has a 5.63 ERA.
With one week left in the AFL, Mena has a chance to put one more strong outing on the board. If he does, it would finish 2026 on a high note and give him momentum heading into 2027.
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Pittsburgh also reinstated catcher Endy Rodrguez and pitcher Mitch Keller from the 60-day injured list, bringing some important names back into the mix. The roster now sits at 38 players on the 40-man, which leaves the Pirates with room to keep sorting through a battle that is still taking shape and could have more moving parts before it settles. [Read more 🡒]