The last time the Pittsburgh Pirates were good, they had one of the best bullpens in the sport. Their pens from 2013 through 2015 were so great that they earned the nickname “The Shark Tank.” The Pirates have a handful of quality relievers going into 2026. It will be one of their strengths. However, their bullpen also has a handful of hurlers they need to get breakout seasons from in 2026 if they want it to be truly reliable in 2026.

Key Relievers the Pittsburgh Pirates Need to Breakout
Justin Lawrence

Justin Lawrence has some of the most breakout potential of any pitcher on the Pirates’ roster. Acquired in early Spring Training 2025, Lawrence could never find his footing with the Colorado Rockies. The right-hander pitched 194 innings, working to a 5.43 ERA, 4.32 FIP, and 1.61 WHIP. Lawrence was surprisingly home run-immune despite pitching in Coors Field regularly, with a 0.79 HR/9 ratio. However, he walked 12.5% of batters he faced, while putting up a middling 21.3% strikeout percentage.

Lawrence looked like he was well on his way to a massive 2025 breakout. However, elbow inflammation in late April put him out of commission until the middle of September. Lawrence pitched only 17.2 innings, but it was a promising small sample. He struck out 23 opponents with a strong 29.5% whiff rate. The right-hander didn’t allow a single home run and had a healthy 47.2% groundball percentage. He did hand out eight free passes, but it was the only blemish during his first look with the Pirates.

Lawrence has plus stuff that could make him a closing pitching option if the Pirates need him to step up in the 9th inning. Lawrence’s arm angle was -1 degree, and he averages 95 MPH with his sinker. His low-80s sweeper induced a 40% whiff rate last year. His low armslot, combined with his above-average velocity, led to a strong 103 FanGraphs Stuff+ mark. Now that he’s out of Coors Field, where flyballs fly further, and high-spin pitches move a lot differently, Lawrence is in for a big 2026 campaign.

Mason Montgomery

Mason Montgomery has some of the best stuff on the Pirates’ pitching staff. The Bucs acquired Montgomery from the Tampa Bay Rays. He came to the Pirates alongside Jake Mangum and Brandon Lowe. 2025 was Montgomery’s rookie year. In 46 innings, the Southpaw put up a 5.67 ERA, but a 3.92 FIP. He struck out 30% of opponents and had a 12.9% walk rate with a 1.17 HR/9 ratio. However, there is plenty to suggest that his ERA approaching 6.00 was a fluke.

For one, Montgomery had a .384 batting average on balls in play. That was the highest of any reliever with 40+ IP last season. His exit velocity was also only about league average at 89.3 MPH. xFIP and SIERA agreed that he was much better than his bottom line suggested. The former pinned him at 3.56, while the latter put him at 3.55. Of course, he was one of the hardest-throwing pitchers last year. His fastball sat at 98.7 MPH, which was in the top 97th percentile of hurlers last year. He threw the third-most 100+ MPH pitches from any left-hander in 2025. His fastball also had 18.5 inches of induced vertical break. Montgomery’s upper-80s slider induced a whiff rate of 40.8%. That, along with the plus extension (81st percentile), made Montgomery’s stuff even better than it already was.

Montgomery put up a 123 FanGraphs Stuff+, which was the second best of any lefty reliever in 2025 (min. 40+ IP). He also began mixing in a low-80s change-up and an upper-80s curveball during Spring Training. Both also induced a whiff a third of the time in the small sample size. Two new pitches and slightly improved control could take Montgomery a very long way. He certainly has the stuff to be one of the best lefty relievers in the sport.

Yohan Ramirez

The Pirates are going into 2026 with Yohan Ramirez on their Opening Day roster. For Ramirez’s sake, he needs to have a breakout. After re-acquiring Ramirez last season, the right-hander totaled 33.1 innings with a 5.40 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. However, the underlying numbers suggest he can be much better than this.

Ramirez struck out 29% of opponents with a respectable 1.08 HR/9 ratio. He did struggle to limit walks, with a 10.3% BB%. Most ERA estimators made him out to be a solid relief pitcher. Ramirez put up a 3.80 FIP and 3.76 xFIP. SIERA was the most bullish on his performance, pinning him at 3.34. Like his fellow breakout candidates, Ramirez also has plus stuff. His four-seamer and sinker both sat around 96-97 MPH. His sweeper, curveball, and slider all induced a whiff rate of at least 30%. Ramirez was also in the 94th percentile of extension, making his already plus velocity play up even more. FanGraphs Stuff+ put him at 106.

Ramirez has to break out in 2026. He has no minor league options left. That means he has to go through waivers if the Pirates want to send him to Triple-A. On top of that, the Bucs have other up-and-coming hurlers. Brandan Bidois looked outstanding, both last year in the minor leagues and in Spring Training. He could easily replace Ramirez if he struggles. He was also added to the 40-man roster in the offseason. Both Antwone Kelly and Wilber Dotel had promising 2025 seasons and could also take a bullpen spot later this year. Ramirez has his work cut out for him, but a breakout would secure him a bullpen spot.

Main Photo Credits: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images