Pittsburgh Pirates: New Projected Opening Day Roster

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PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 18: Joe Musgrove #59 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the first inning during the exhibition game against the Cleveland Indians at PNC Park on July 18, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 18: Joe Musgrove #59 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the first inning during the exhibition game against the Cleveland Indians at PNC Park on July 18, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

The starting rotation

We will start with the easy one. One thing that has not changed since our first predictions for the team’s roster coming out of summer camp is the starting rotation. Luckily, hurry up and go knock on lots of wood, the starting rotation is one area that has not been impacted by injuries, the coronavirus, etc. for the Pittsburgh Pirates since summer camp started.

While injuries have not impacted the rotation in summer camp, the rotation was still been impacted by injuries. Jameson Taillon will miss all of 2019 due to having Tommy John surgery last summer and Chris Archer will miss the season due to undergoing thoracic outlet syndrome surgery earlier this summer. This leaves the team looking for pitchers to top their starting rotation.

Joe Musgrove will enter the season as the top dog for the Pittsburgh Pirates and will start on Opening Day. Trevor Williams will follow in game two, Mitch Keller and Derek Holland will also be in the starting rotation.

As for the final spot in the rotation, Steven Brault and Chad Kuhl will piggyback for the Pirates. In Saturday night’s exhibition game against the Indians, both Brault and Kuhl looked strong pitching a pair of scoreless innings each.

While the rotation could, and likely will, change as the season progresses, it will be Msugrove, Williams, Keller, Holland, and Brault/Kuhl to start the 2020 campaign.