The Pittsburgh Pirates refurbished their lineup this offseason, but a returning player could also elevate his game in 2026.
Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden shouted out Jared Triolo as Pittsburgh’s player “turning heads” in spring training. The Athletic insider explained why the third baseman is worth watching this season.
“Triolo was a competitive balance round B pick of the Pirates in 2019 and made it to the big leagues in 2023,” Bowden wrote. “He’s played regularly for Pittsburgh the past two seasons, and it looks like he’s finally making adjustments at the plate this spring. He’s a plus defender and last year played all four infield positions for Pittsburgh. His positional flexibility is a huge plus for their roster. He has all the intangibles and is an under-the-radar type impact player.”
Triolo won a Gold Glove as a utility man in 2024, but the career .236/.320/.347 hitter hasn’t made much noise at the plate. Yet he took some encouraging strides late last season, batting .276/.353/.422 after the All-Star break.
Although Triolo hasn’t gone yard this spring, the 28-year-old has reached base 12 times in 35 plate appearances. Maintaining last season’s 10.4 percent walk rate could make Triolo closer to a league-average hitter, especially since he’s significantly reduced his strikeout rate in each of the last two years.
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Triolo remains poised to open the 2026 season as Pittsburgh’s starting third baseman. He’ll join an infield that added second baseman Brandon Lowe and could soon add prized shortstop prospect Konnor Griffin.
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