5 Pirates with the most to gain during the final month of the 2026 season

For a Pittsburgh Pirates team still hanging onto whatever remains of its postseason hopes, September is supposed to be about winning games. But it will also be about figuring out who should be trusted to help them win games in 2027 and beyond.

The Pirates have spent most of this season operating like a team whose contention window has finally arrived, meaning the final month shouldn’t simply turn into another extended tryout for young players. Still, several players have an opportunity to dramatically improve their standing before Pittsburgh reaches an offseason in which there shouldn't be many jobs simply handed out.

These five Pirates arguably have the most to gain.

5 Pirates players with the most to gain during the season's final month

Henry Davis

Henry Davis has become a legitimately good defensive catcher. He entered the second half of August with 10 defensive runs saved, tied for second among MLB players, an incredible turnaround for someone whose ability to remain behind the plate was once a major question.

Unfortunately, the bat still hasn't followed. Davis is batting just .166/.263/.293 with eight home runs this season. At this point, nobody should expect him to suddenly become the offensive force the Pirates envisioned when they selected him first overall in 2021. The question is whether he can hit enough to make his defense matter.

Endy Rodríguez's hip surgery has made that question even more important. Rodríguez isn't expected to resume baseball activities for seven to nine months, creating considerable uncertainty about his availability early next season.

That gives Davis a massive opportunity. A merely respectable offensive September could put him in position to enter 2027 as Pittsburgh's unquestioned starting catcher rather than force the Pirates to search for another answer this winter.

Nick Yorke

Eventually, Nick Yorke has to turn prospect pedigree into major league production. This September might be his best opportunity yet.

The Pirates recalled Yorke from Indianapolis on Aug. 16, and he immediately provided a glimpse of what they have been waiting to see, including a two-run single against the Boston Red Sox and a bases-clearing double against the Detroit Tigers. But a handful of big hits isn't enough.

Yorke has bounced between Triple-A and Pittsburgh without establishing a permanent major league role. With Brandon Lowe headed toward free agency, however, second base could become one of Pittsburgh's biggest offseason questions. Yorke can make himself part of the answer.

If he hits consistently in September, the Pirates could enter the winter believing they already have a legitimate internal candidate for regular playing time. If he doesn't, Pittsburgh shouldn't simply hand him the job because he was once a highly regarded prospect.

Jared Jones

There probably isn't a Pirate with more to prove in September than Jared Jones. Not because his roster spot is in danger, but because his place in the rotation hierarchy has become much less certain.

Jones is 2-6 with a 4.83 ERA and 83 strikeouts over 72.2 innings this season after missing all of 2025 following elbow surgery. More concerning is how August unfolded.

Jones went 0-4 with a 7.40 ERA over five August starts, allowing 28 hits and 12 walks in only 20.2 innings.

His stuff still makes him one of Pittsburgh's most intriguing pitchers. But with Paul Skenes, Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler all factoring heavily into the future rotation, Jones is no longer in a situation where the Pirates desperately need him to become their No. 2 starter. He has to earn that status again.

A strong September would allow Jones to finish his first season back from surgery with momentum and restore some confidence that Pittsburgh possesses four potentially dominant building blocks in its 2027 rotation.

Mason Montgomery

Montgomery has an opportunity to make one offseason decision extremely easy. Give him the ninth inning.

The left-hander has increasingly been trusted in the Pirates' highest-leverage situations, including saves against the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres and other late-inning assignments throughout August.

Pittsburgh added several veteran relievers at the trade deadline, but Montgomery has looked increasingly capable of becoming something more important than another setup option. September gives him the opportunity to remove any ambiguity.

If Montgomery continues dominating high-leverage situations, there should be no reason for the Pirates to spend significant resources chasing a closer this winter. They may already have one.

Esmerlyn Valdez

Few Pirates made a louder introduction this season than Esmerlyn Valdez. The slugging outfielder was named National League Rookie of the Month for July, quickly becoming one of the most dangerous power bats in Pittsburgh's lineup.

Eventually, major league pitchers responded. Valdez has been challenged more aggressively, particularly with elevated fastballs, and his swing-and-miss issues have become harder to ignore. Even so, he enters September batting .244/.357/.526 with 15 home runs in only 213 at-bats.

Valdez doesn't need to spend September putting up another ridiculous home-run total, but he needs to provide a counterpunch. The league always adjusts to the best young hitters, then they adjust back. If Valdez shows that ability over the final month, Pittsburgh can enter 2027 viewing him as a fixture in the middle of a lineup that's going to need him.

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