Tommy Pham addition appears to complete this Pirates projected Opening Day lineup

A corner outfield spot was the missing piece to the Pirates roster entering the month of February. Adding Tommy Pham closed that hole, and now their Opening Day lineup looks complete on paper. Let's take a look at how the 2025 Pirates may look from top to bottom.

This is how the Pirates lineup might look on Opening Day, following the Tommy Pham addition.

Andrew McCutchen: DH

Leading off is Andrew McCutchen, the Pirates' face of the franchise that re-signed to his third consecutive one-year deal in Pittsburgh this offseason. At 38 years of age, McCutchen is at his best when he is in the leadoff spot.

In the leadoff spot last year, McCutchen put together an OPS of .780 with 15 home runs and 35 runs driven in. He also put together a wRC+ of 117, along with an average strikeout rate of 24.7% and a solid walk rate of 10.7%.

At this point in his career, McCutchen is just slightly above-average, so the Pirates should try to get the best out of him wherever they can. His success atop the lineup means he should bat first.

Bryan Reynolds: LF

Following McCutchen would be Bryan Reynolds, the player that the Pirates signed to their biggest contract in franchise history. He is by far the best hitter in the lineup, which means he should hit second in the order.

Last season, Reynolds led the team with a .791 OPS, which came from an on-base percentage of .344 and a slugging percentage of .447. He belted 24 home runs, 29 doubles, and three triples as well. His wRC+ reached 118 and he drove in 88 runs.

He is a two time All-Star for a reason, and will be a force in the Pirates lineup. Nowadays the best hitter resides in the second slot, which sets Reynolds up here.

Oneil Cruz: CF

Next up in the order comes Oneil Cruz, the new center fielder in the organization. After switching from shortstop to center, Cruz is set for a big year at the plate, and has been given some high praise, in anticipation of a few impressive feats in 2025.

In 2024, Cruz hit the ball hard almost exclusively, with a barrel rate of 15.7, average exit velocity of 95.5 mph, and a hard-hit rate of 54.9%. All of that ranked in the 97th percentile or higher. That led to him to 21 home runs, 34 doubles, and an OPS of .773. He also stole 22 bases to tie into a solid wRC+ of 110.

Cruz needs to cut down on the strikeouts in 2025, and if he does so, he could turn into one of the best center fielders in baseball. He has all the tools, and this season will show if he can really put it all together consistently.