3 under-the-radar non-roster invitees making noise at Pirates spring training

There's a different feeling arond Pittsburgh Pirates spring training in 2026. Fans and members of the team alike are exhibiting a level of optimism that doesn't often accompany Pirates baseball, at least not in recent years.

The Pirates made a concerted effort to assemble a more competitive team this season. That appears to have come to fruition, as the team's primary additions to the big league club—Brandon Lowe, Ryan O'Hearn, Marcell Ozuna, and Gregory Soto—have combined for eight career All-Star appearances, with the former two each making the AL All-Star squad just last season.

This is easily the best roster the Pirates have brought to Bradenton in the Ben Cherington era, and with more established players in the fold, there isn't as much competition for spots to round out the roster as there usually is. That being said, there are still some non-roster players who, although they might not break camp with the team, are making their case to be given a chance to help the Pirates pretty early in 2026.

3 under-the-radar non-roster invitees making noise at Pirates spring training

Noah Murdock

Understandably, not much was made of the Pirates giving a minor-league deal to a reliever who posted a 13.24 ERA last season. But this is a case where it's important to look at the greater picture through a clearer lens. Noah Murdock is an intriguing prospect.

Murdock is head and shoulders above his peers, literally—at 6-foot-8, he's the tallest player in Pirates camp. But instead of using his extra height to attack hitters over the top, he fires above-average velocity from a sidearm delivery. Thanks to his 17-degree release angle, his fastball averaged almost 95 MPH and over a foot of arm-side movement last season, and he pairs that with a pair of breaking balls—a high-eighties cutter and a low-eighties sweeper.

This approach is reminiscent of that of another Pirates reliever, Justin Lawrence. He was another low-release reliever with electric stuff in a suboptimal situation (the Pirates claimed Lawrence from the Rockies, while Murdock's MLB experience last year came with the A's in Sacramento) who looked like a completely different pitcher in Pittsburgh. While he spent months sidelined with an injury, his performance when healthy was stellar—Lawrence had a 0.51 ERA, struck out a third of opposing hitters, and suppressed hard contact at an elite rate.

A former seventh-round pick out of the University of Virginia, Murdock has made three scoreless appearances so far this spring. He pitched well last spring also, when he was in A's camp as a Rule 5 pick and earned a spot on their opening day roster. While his first cup of coffee in the majors was uninspiring, he's now in one of the premier pitching development organizations in baseball and at least has some MLB experience under his belt. He's likely not fighting for an Opening Day roster spot, but he's a name to watch as the Pirates cycle through arms throughout the season.

Dominic Fletcher

The Pirates greatly improved their outfield this winter, with O'Hearn replacing Tommy Pham in the starting lineup and Jake Mangum profiling as one of the league's better fourth outfielders. Toolsy prospect Jhostynxon Garcia is also having a great spring and likely in line for MLB at bats in the near future.

Not to be forgotten is Dominic Fletcher, who has appeared in each of the last three seasons with the Diamondbacks and White Sox and signed a minor league deal with the Pirates in December. A former second-round pick and the younger brother of former MVP vote-recipient David Fletcher, Dominic has shown flashes of potential at the plate in the past, posting an OPS over .700 at the MLB level in both 2023 and 2025.

He's off to a strong start this spring, slashing .286/.375/.476 with a double and a home run, both of which came in the same game off of Jose Berrios, an established MLB starter. He pulls the ball in the air a lot, a helpful trait for a left-handed hitter at PNC Park. And with much of the Pirates' lineup batting from the left side (Cruz, O'Hearn, Lowe, Spencer Horwitz), should something happen early in the season, Fletcher could be an option to come off the bench in Pittsburgh.

Mike Clevinger

By far the biggest name among Pirates non-roster players outside of Konnor Griffin, Mike Clevinger has emerged as a serious candidate to break camp with the team, either as the fifth starter or out of the bullpen. He pitched in both roles last season, making eight relief appearances with the White Sox and 22 starts with the team's Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte.

Clevinger's peak was a while ago but it was significant. From 2017-2020, he pitched in 88 games and produced a 2.96 ERA. Out of 131 qualified pitchers, he was one of just seven with a sub-3.00 ERA in that span, ranking ahead of names like Chris Sale, Gerrit Cole, and Blake Snell. He was still a quality starting pitcher as recently as 2023, when he posted a 3.77 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 24 starts with the White Sox.

His recent three-inning, four-run outing will taint his spring stat line, but he looks like a new pitcher this spring, even at age 35. His fastball averaged 93 MPH last season but is up two ticks this spring, and has even touched as high as 97. Pairing a higher-velocity heater with his secondaries that have been plus in the past could enable him to be a solid innings-eater for the Pirates until Jared Jones returns from injury.