The Pirates have another arm that can touch 100 mph, and that alone will turn heads. The harder part is the one Pittsburgh still has to solve.
Right-hander Irwin Ramirez was named Pittsburgh’s Rookie-Level Pitcher of the Year after a 2026 season that showed exactly why the organization is intrigued - and exactly why it still has work to do. At 19, he already brings the kind of velocity that makes scouts lean forward.
Pirates director of coaching and player development Michael Chernow said the 6-foot-3 right-hander throws around 100 mph and produced whiff rates above 50% with both his slider and changeup. For a pitcher who signed with Pittsburgh as an international free agent in January 2024, that’s loud stuff.
The problem is that the stuff didn’t always play against better competition.
Ramirez began the year with the Florida Complex League Pirates and gave the organization a strong early look: a 3.67 ERA, 23 strikeouts and a .157 batting average against over eight starts. That earned him a move to Low-A Bradenton in June, where the test got much tougher.
In 11 appearances, including nine starts, Ramirez logged a 6.75 ERA over 41 1/3 innings. He punched out 41 hitters, but he also walked 36 and finished with a 1.98 WHIP.
The raw power was still there. The strike zone, too often, was not.
That’s the gap Pittsburgh is trying to close. Big velocity can blow past inexperienced hitters, but it loses some of its edge when opponents realize they can simply wait for a mistake. Ramirez’s numbers at Bradenton made that clear.
Even so, there were signs he started to settle in late. He allowed one run in three of his final four outings, a stretch that suggested some adjustment was coming once he got more time at the higher level. And at 19, there’s no reason to lock him into one outcome after his first full-season experience.
Ramirez also fits into a broader picture for the Pirates, who have made a habit of identifying and developing pitching talent. Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft have already become the names attached to that reputation.
Now the next challenge is just as obvious: turning electric arms into reliable pitchers. Pittsburgh has no shortage of velocity. What it still needs is command, consistency and secondary pitches that can hold up as hitters get sharper.
Ramirez’s award recognizes real progress. His Bradenton struggles show how much remains unfinished.
The Pirates have found another pitcher who can light up the radar gun. The bigger question is whether they can teach him how to get outs with it.
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