The Pirates’ pitching staff has given this season plenty of uneven moments, but it also just put the franchise in a place no other group in Pittsburgh history has reached.
On Sept. 23 at PNC Park, right-hander Lake Bachar struck out St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Alec Burleson in the top of the first inning of a 5-1 loss, and that punchout pushed the Pirates to a new single-season franchise record of 1,444 strikeouts. The old mark was 1,443, set in 2019, and Pittsburgh passed it with four games still left on the schedule.
That total reflects just how many different arms the Pirates have used in 2026. Thirty pitchers have recorded at least one strikeout, a mix that includes starters, relievers and even position players.
Paul Skenes has been the headliner, as expected. The 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner leads the club with 192 strikeouts and has one more start left, Sept. 24 against the Cardinals, with a chance to hit 200 for the second straight season.
Behind him, Ashcraft sits second, rookie Bubba Chandler third, Jared Jones fourth and Mitch Keller fifth. Jones and Keller each missed two months because of injury, which makes their places on the list even more notable.
The Pirates also had Carmen Mlodzinski in the rotation for the first two months before Jones returned. Mlodzinski now has 92 strikeouts, topping his previous career high of 89 from 2025.
The bullpen has carried a heavy load too. Eleven pitchers who began the year with Pittsburgh and finished it there have mostly worked out of relief, and the strikeout leaders in that group are left-hander Mason Montgomery and right-hander Yohan Ramírez, both with 99.
Montgomery later became the closer and has been one of the Pirates’ best relief pitchers over the last two months. Ramírez has also found success in a range of roles.
Gregory Soto ranks third in the bullpen with 78 strikeouts, while the other eight pitchers in that mix have bounced between the majors and minors.
Pittsburgh also cycled through several arms who are no longer with the club. The Pirates moved on from Dennis Santana, Justin Lawrence, Cam Sanders and José Urquidy, designating them for assignment and trading the latter three. They also traded Brandan Bidois to the Miami Marlins in a deal that brought Bachar to Pittsburgh.
Among the trade additions, Bachar has led the way with 28 strikeouts. Camilo Doval, acquired from the New York Yankees, was next with 23 before the Pirates designated him for assignment on Sept.
- Luke Weaver of the New York Mets and Kirby Yates of the Los Angeles Angels arrived on trade deadline day, Brandon Eisert came from the Chicago White Sox on July 10, and Ron Marinaccio and Hunter Stratton were both acquired after being designated for assignment before later being DFA’d again by the Pirates.
Utility man Tyler Callihan also got into the mix, making four appearances and throwing three innings. His lone strikeout came against Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki in an 11-0 loss at PNC Park on July 25.
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Kirby Yates Just Raised An Interesting Question About His Pirates Future
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Now the bigger question is what comes next for Yates himself. He is out of contract at the end of the season and is weighing whether to keep pitching or step away, which leaves the Pirates with an experienced arm to think about as they shape their bullpen plans. For a team he praised as strong and promising, his decision could matter well beyond this years final stretch. [Read more 🡒]