The 2026 season is in full swing. We\u2019re now well into April, but it\u2019s still very early in the campaign. The Pittsburgh Pirates are off to a strong 7-5 start to the year. Much of their promising start in the first dozen games can be attributed to major improvements made to the team. However, a handful of players had already improved themselves. While bottom-line numbers may not tell you much this early on in the season, you can tell these Pirates players upgraded their game based on the under-the-hood numbers.<\/p>\n
Henry Davis<\/p>\n
Henry Davis<\/a> was the first overall pick in the 2021 draft by the Pirates. His bat has yet to come around<\/a> as many hoped it would. Last year, Davis hit .167\/.234\/.278 with a 41 wRC+. He only walked 6.4% of the time, struck out at a 26.9% rate, and only hit seven home runs over 283 plate appearances. Davis is off to a better start in 2026. He already has six hits in 31 trips to the plate. Half of those hits have gone for two bags. Davis has only struck out four times with three free passes. Still, his wRC+ currently sits at 91.<\/p>\n Although the bottom line may not show it, Davis\u2019 process at the plate is significantly better compared to last year. In 2025, Davis chased outside the zone at a 34.3% rate. So far into 2026, he has cut that down to only 30%. Davis also took his 28.9% whiff rate from last year and trimmed it to 20.8% in 2026. The backstop also has an impressive 91.7 MPH exit velocity, with a respectable 8.7% barrel percentage. Davis can thank a tremendous increase in bat speed for his increased raw power. Last year, he came in at 73.9 MPH, and now he is clocking an average of 75.5 MPH.<\/p>\n Davis is doing a lot of things right at the plate. Making more contact, swinging less frequently outside the zone, and making quality contact are usually a recipe for success. Davis\u2019 defense has already leaped forward last year. Now, he\u2019s making strides when it comes to his procedure. He may be a larger sample size away from having a true breakout at the dish.<\/p>\n Nick Yorke<\/p>\n The Pirates acquired Nick Yorke<\/a> at the 2024 trade deadline. He has had sporadic showings with the Bucs in the Major Leagues over the last two seasons, with 114 plate appearances between 2024 and 2025. Yorke spent most of 2025 at Triple-A, where he batted .287\/.348\/.406 with a 104 wRC+. The former first-round pick opened the 2026 season in the Major Leagues with the Pirates and has done everything he can to get an extended look<\/a>. Yorke has racked up eight hits in 28 plate appearances. Two of his hits have been doubles, including a walk-off against the Baltimore Orioles. Yorke has walked (five) more times than he has struck out (four) thus far.<\/p>\n With more free passes than K\u2019s, it\u2019s no surprise Yorke\u2019s plate discipline has looked very good. His chase rate sits at just 23%, which is in the top 83rd percentile of batters right now. On top of rarely chasing outside the zone, Yorke swings and misses at a very low rate. His whiff rate of 14.3% is in the top 93rd percentile. On top of all that, Yorke\u2019s raw power is showing up in games. His exit velocity sits at 90 MPH, and his hard hit rate clocks in at a whopping 55.6%. His expected wOBA on contact (or xwOBACON) of .374 is better than the league average mark.<\/p>\n