The ideal Pittsburgh Pirates lineup when June begins

There have been a lot of frustrating Pittsburgh Pirates games this year, and that's putting it lightly. But many of those frustrating games are because of one thing: the lineup. Players who were expected to perform haven't, and the Pirates are missing their fair share of key lineup pieces. The Pirates currently have the second-worst team OPS, wOBA, and wRC+. But as we approach the first month of summer, Pirates fans are hoping the Bucs can put out a better lineup as the season heats up, like this one.

Ideal Pittsburgh Pirates lineup for June and beyond in 2025 season

Catcher: Joey Bart

Joey Bart was picked up by the Pirates early into the 2024 season. Bart took the Bucs by storm, and by the end of the season, he was their starting catcher after posting a .799 OPS, .347 wOBA, 121 wRC+, 13 home runs, and a .198 isolated slugging percentage across about a half-season worth of playing time (80 games, 282 plate appearances).

Bart has continued to hit well for the Pirates so far. It's been 135 plate appearances, but he is slashing .272/.394/.351 with a .344 wOBA and 117 wRC+. Bart is drawing a ton of walks to go with his respectable batting average. His 14.6% walk rate is the third-highest of any catcher this year with at least 120 plate appearances. Overall, the LA Dodgers' Will Smith is the only backstop with a higher on-base percentage. Surprisingly, Bart has only hit one home run with a .079 isolated slugging percentage, a significant step back from what he did in the power department in 2024.

But there's even potential for Bart to hit even better. His slugging percentage sits below .400, but his expected slugging percentage is .441. Bart is having no trouble making quality contact. He has a 90.1 MPH exit velocity and 11.1% barrel rate. Both are improvements over 2024, when he had an 89.1 MPH exit velo and 9.4% barrel rate. Bart is also in the 76th percentile of xwOBA, sitting at .364.

Bart's defense has only been passable. He has -1 defensive run saved and -1.1 framing runs. He is also only in the third percentile of poptime. On the plus side, his throws from behind the dish at an average of 83.7 MPH, which is the 18th-highest mark in baseball, and he hasn't been bad when it comes to blocking, with +2 blocking runs.

First Base: Spencer Horwitz

First base has been a problem for the Pirates for a long time. Spencer Horwitz will hopefully give the Pirates a solid solution at the position. Horwitz may have missed the first two and a half months of the 2025 season, but if he returns to the field looking anything like he did in his standout 2024 rookie campaign, he's going to be one of the most underrated players at his position.

Last season, Horwitz turned in a .265/.357/.433 triple-slash in 381 plate appearances. His overall power output was about league average, with a dozen home runs, a .168 isolated slugging percentage, and an 8% barrel rate. On top of average power, Horwitz showed off good plate discipline. He drew walks at an 11% rate with a 69th-percentile 25.7% chase rate. His whiff rate was just slightly under 20% at 19.4%, which sat in the 79th percentile, and he only struck out in 18.4% of his trips to the plate.

But Horwitz moving out of Rogers Centre could do him a lot of good. He had a respectable .712 OPS, .313 wOBA, and 106 wRC+ at home. But in road games, Horwitz saw his numbers shoot up to an .862 OPS, .374 wOBA, and 147 wRC+. According to Baseball Savant, Rogers Centre is only the 18th-most hitter-friendly park for left-handed hitters, while PNC Park ranks eighth.

Horwitz split his time between second base and first base. His glove at the keystone wasn't great, recording -5 DRS, a -5.2 UZR/150, and zero OAA. Meanwhile, over at first base, he only had -1 DRS, a +4.9 UZR/150, and +1 OAA. He's better served at first base, which is the position the Pirates will likely play him at most frequently.

Horwitz was one of the best-hitting rookies last season, ranking first among rookies with at least 350 plate appearances in OBP, third in OPS, and second in both wOBA and wRC+. Horwitz could be a .270-.280 batter, draw plenty of walks, and provide at least average power, which will give the Bucs' lineup a big boost.

Second base: Nick Gonzales

Nick Gonzales made a big splash in his first game of 2025, hitting a home run. Unfortunately, he suffered a non-displaced ankle fracture after hitting said home run. Losing Gonzales just a single game into 2025 was a significant blow to the lineup, not just in terms of depth and reliability, but in overall confidence and morale, as the infielder's development had been a silver lining in a disappointing 2024 season.

The former first-round pick batted .270/.311/.398 through 387 plate appearances. He only walked 4.7% of the time with a 34.1% chase rate, but struck out in just 19.1% of his plate appearances with a whiff rate of 24.9%. Gonzales only hit seven home runs with an .128 isolated slugging percentage, but his 7.9% barrel rate and .407 xSLG% suggested there might be more power to come. Overall, he had a .307 wOBA and 94 wRC+.

This was a big step forward for Gonzales, who struggled with strikeouts in the minor leagues and in his brief taste of big league action in 2023. It also helps that Gonzales looked solid with the glove. DRS didn't love his work up the middle (he registered at -4), but UZR/150 and OAA did, pinning him at +5.7 and +2, respectively.

The Pirates have gotten good defense, but inconsistent offense from second base since Gonzales hit the injured list. Bringing him back into the fold will help the Pirates' depth chart significantly, take some pressure off of both Adam Frazier and Jared Triolo, and get a good glove with the potential to be a good hitter back into the lineup.

Third Base: Ke'Bryan Hayes

After a very promising 2023 season where Hayes finally looked like he turned a corner, the third baseman regressed, likely with most of his struggles originating from a herniated disc. Hayes hasn't gotten off to a hot start to the year, but at the very least, he's shown he's back at full strength on the field.

Hayes is only hitting .260/.309/.325 with a .286 wOBA, and 77 wRC+ through his first 166 plate appearances. He's not striking out much, and has an 18.7% K% while being in the 66th percentile of whiff rate. His chase rate is in the 58th percentile at 26.2%, but hasn't drawn many walks, with a 5.7% BB%. 

Hayes's back injuries last year limited his raw strength. His exit velocity fell from a career-high 92.2 MPH mark in 2023 to just 88.9 MPH last year. He's back up to his career norm at 91 MPH, but his barrel rate is only in the 26th percentile at 5.1%. For what it's worth, he hasn't had any problems lifting the ball this year with a 10.2-degree launch angle. He could definitely benefit from trying to pull the ball more, which is what led to his successful 2023. Right now, he's been an all-fields hitter.

Defensively, Hayes has been as good as ever. He already has +3 defensive runs saved and +4 outs above average at third base. He is tied with Matt Chapman for the highest OAA mark among all third basemen. He'll likely be a Gold Glove finalist by the end of this year, at the very least, if not win his second one.

Hayes still has the potential for more offense. He hits the ball hard, makes good swing decisions, and doesn't swing and miss at a high rate. He's even lifting the ball more frequently than in previous seasons, except for 2023. 

Shortstop: Isiah Kiner-Falefa

The Pirates acquired infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the Toronto Blue Jays at last year's trade deadline. Although he hit well with the Blue Jays, Kiner-Falefa only slashed .240/.265/.322 with a .257 wOBA and 60 wRC+ through his final 215 plate appearances of the season. IKF has never been a big power hitter and only went yard once. Still, he went from a .292 batting average and .338 OBP prior to the trade to a sub-.250 average, and OBP below .300 after arriving in Pittsburgh.

IKF has rebounded so far into 2025, at least to some degree. In his first 122 plate appearances, the infielder is batting .283/.331/.354 with a .307, and a 92 wRC+. He's getting on base at a rate similar to his pre-trade production with the Jays. He's always been one to strike out at a low rate, and only has an 18% K%, with a whiff rate in the 89th percentile of all batters at 17.5%. But that also comes at the cost of a 5.7% walk rate, a chase rate only in the 35th percentile, and an isolated slugging percentage of .0.71.

IKF's defense at shortstop has always received mixed reviews. He always grades out positively in DRS, but negatively in OAA, and 2025 has been no different. He already has +3 DRS, but -2 OAA in 279 innings at shortstop. He has plenty of career innings logged at second base and third base, but hasn't played a game at the keystone, and only has one start at the hot corner.

Kiner-Falefa is a very solid nine-hole hitter. He gets on base at a solid rate and can turn the lineup over. He may not hit more than 5-to-7 home runs this season, but given who has been leading off most games this season, having a batter like IKF at the bottom of the order is valuable, and sets the table for the top of the lineup.

Left Field: Alexander Canario

So far, most Pirates fans would likely find this lineup acceptable. It's definitely better than what the Pirates have been putting out there for the most part. But here's where many are going to get upset. Alexander Canario is currently penciled in at left field for the Pirates, barring a significant move, whether that be a trade or prospect promotion.

Canario is only hitting .210/.279/.339 with a .278 wOBA and 72 wRC+ through his first 68 plate appearances as a Pirate. He has a respectable 8.8% walk rate and 25% strikeout percentage, but he has struggled to make contact consistently. His whiff rate is 37.5%, and it was above 40% for the vast majority of his Pirates' tenure, only falling below 40% recently.

There is a reason why the Pirates have given Canario a look. He swings the bat very fast, with an elite 77.1 MPH bat speed. That has helped generate a strong 92 MPH exit velocity and 20% barrel rate. He also has a .365 xwOBA and .548 xSLG%. These aren't just good numbers, but are some of the best in the league. Among batters with at least 50 plate appearances this year, Canario ranks seventh in bat speed, sixth in barrel rate, 28th in xSLG%, and 32nd in exit velo.

For what it's worth, Canario is hitting better lately. He has a hit in nine of ten games played in the month of May. He still only has three walks and 10 strikeouts in 38 plate appearances, but has continued to rip the cover off the ball. He clocks in with a 92.5 MPH exit velocity and a 12% barrel percentage. There's almost no player (other than the Pirates' center fielder) you'd want to see cut down his whiff rate more than Canario, because his raw power could be a huge asset if he just made slightly more contact.

Center Field: Oneil Cruz

Oneil Cruz will continue to line up in center field. Cruz broke out in 2024, posting a 110 wRC+ with a 20/20 campaign in his first full big league season. However, the start of this year has been even more promising and, with the sort of improvements he's made at the dish, could lead to an even better season as the year progresses.

Cruz owns a .239/.369/.462 line, .362 wOBA, and 129 wRC+. He's hitting for plenty of power, with eight home runs and a .223 isolated slugging percentage. Speed has always been part of Cruz's game, but his base running efficiency is elite. He's only gotten caught once in 17 attempts this year. He also only got caught trying to steal just a single time last year, but in 23 tries. Cruz is making outstanding swing decisions, as he's drawn a walk 16.3% of the time, and improved his chase rate from 31.7% to just 26.5%. Though strikeouts have still been a problem, he has cut his K% down below 30% to 29.4%.

Cruz is obliterating the baseball, with a 96.5 MPH exit velocity and a 22.4% barrel percentage. He has both an xwOBA over .400 at .403 and an xSLG% over .500 at .523, showing there's definitely more in Cruz's tank than what his bottom line suggests (even though his bottom line is still very good).

Cruz's defense in center has been shaky, to say the least. He has -7 defensive runs saved, but zero outs above average. When Cruz moved to the outfield late last season, he got the best jump on fly balls among any outfielder in baseball and ran efficient routes as well. This season, Cruz has graded out as below average in terms of jump and route running. While you could chalk some of his struggles up to growing pains, it's a little disappointing to see him stumble out of the gates this year with the glove, given how good he looked (despite having very little playing time) in the outfield when the Pirates originally moved him there last season.

Cruz's defense has looked better in recent games, and that's a big step forward for him. His bat will play anywhere, and he currently looks like one of the best hitting center fielders in the game. Even if he plays just average defense from here on out, let alone returns to the level we saw him at during September 2024, he'll be one of the most valuable players at his position.

Right Field: Bryan Reynolds

For the love of god, please let Bryan Reynolds get hot.

There's been nothing more frustrating than Bryan Reynolds this year. Chances are, the most frustrated person at Bryan Reynolds is Bryan Reynolds. We know he's better than this, he knows he's better than this, and at some point, things just have to start clicking and going right for him.

It's only been 193 plate appearances, but Reynolds is only hitting .194/.259/.309 with a .253 wOBA and 55 wRC+. His 7.8% walk rate is on pace to be a career low for him, while his 28.5% K% is on pace to be a career high for the veteran outfielder. So what exactly is going wrong? What is he doing so differently this year compared to last year?

There are still things Reynolds is doing right, or just as well as any other year of his career. Both his 90.7 MPH exit velocity and 11.5% barrel rate are well above league average and represent career bests. His 26.5% chase rate is also better than the league average, as well as his career average of 27.9%. His whiff rate is slightly up, sitting at 29.3%, but isn't any worse than the 28.5% whiff rate he showed between 2022 and 2024, when he still had a 117 wRC+. 

Some of Reynolds' struggles can be chalked up to bad batted ball luck. His batting average on balls in play is a mere .248. His career average heading into this year was .328, with his single-season high being .387. Since Reynolds is putting up a career-best exit velo and barrel rate, hopefully he can catch up in this department.

Defensively, Reynolds was moved to right field, where he has looked better compared to left field, but still not great. He has -2 DRS and -3 OAA in 241.1 innings in the outfield grass. He has a strong enough arm and enough range to play right field, and his route running is good. However, his jump is the fifth worst in baseball.

Reynolds heating up as the weather heats up is going to be important for this lineup. He needs to start finding his groove. Getting Reynolds going would be a game-changer for the Pirates. Hopefully, he can start hitting better, because the Pirates need him to hit more than anyone right now.

Designated Hitter: Andrew McCutchen

Last but certainly not least, we have the Pirates' designated hitter, Andrew McCutchen. Even as Cutch continues his playing career into his late-30s, he's proven he still has some gas left in the tank. He's been hitting well this year, especially in the month of April, and has been an on-base machine for the Bucs.

McCutchen is batting .254/.352/.385 with a .329 wOBA and 107 wRC+ through 143 plate appearances. He is not striking out at a high rate, with only a 15.4% K% and 24.8% whiff rate, and he's continued to draw walks at an exceptional pace, drawing a free pass in 12.6% of his trips to the dish and chasing outside the strike zone 22.2% of the time. The only downside is that Cutch hasn't hit for much power this year, with only three home runs and a .131 isolated slugging percentage.

But Cutch is also in the 70th percentile or better of multiple statistics on Baseball Savant, some of which are good indicators of potential power production that could be around the corner for the veteran. This includes xBA (.276), xSLG% (.477), xwOBA (.366), and barrel rate (11.9%). He hasn't put up an xSLG% above in a full year .450 since 2017, when he smacked 28 home runs, which still remains the second most he's ever hit in one season. This is also the second time Cutch has ever put up a barrel rate over 10%.

Even though McCutchen will mostly play DH from here on out, the Pirates haven't been afraid of putting him in the outfield on occasion. He even has +2 DRS and +1 OAA in 61 innings between the outfield corners. Given his ability to reach base at a high rate and potential to still hit some home runs, he'll be just fine as the Pirates' designated hitter.