Hunter Barco Joins Pirates Bullpen

0:00It's March 24th. This is MLB News today, AI-powered stories from around the league. I'm Cory with the story. The Pittsburgh Pirates are gearing up with a deep stable of young pictures for the 2026 season, and left-hander Hunter Barco just earned. A spot on the opening day roster. One of the final cuts made, the top 100 prospect heads to City Field, with the team to face the New York Mets on March 26th. He'll join stars like 2025, National League-Sai Young winner, Paul Schienes, along with rookies Braxton Ashcraft, and Bubba Chandler. Barco's ready to tackle any role the Pirates need, starting as a bulk reliever out of the bullpen, rather than a traditional starter. Though he's made 47 starts and 54 minor league outings, he's all in on whatever helps the team win right now. Earlier this week in Spring Training Chats, Barco mentioned talking with Ashcraft and Chandler, who both began in the bullpen last year before. Transitioning to the rotation this season. That path worked well for them, and Barco feels it suits him too, especially after limited

1:04big league release since in 2025. To lock down his roster spot, Barco revamped his pitch mix this offseason, adding a slider, sinker, and change-up to his four-seam fastball, sweeper, and splitter. In the Grapefruit League, he leaned on the four-seam at 48% usage with the new offerings closed behind, posting a sharp two-point, 3-1 ERA over 11 and 2-thirds innings, 15 strike outs, and a low opponent batting average. With his improved arsenal and team-first attitude, Barco looks set to contribute right away as the pirates chase bigger things this year.