Despite the Pittsburgh Pirates’ recent struggles, rookie starting pitcher Jared Jones continues to shine. Jones pitched six innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night, giving up only four hits and one earned run while striking out seven batters. That performance extended the Pirates franchise record for starts to begin a career with 7+ strikeouts to five, and made Jones only the fourth pitcher in MLB history to record 7+ strikeouts in each of his first five starts.
Jones has been a bright spot for the Pirates, who have struggled to a 11-11 record after a hot 9-2 start. The team’s starting pitching was viewed as a weakness coming into the season, but through 23 games, it has been arguably the strongest part of the team. Jones is leading the way, but reinforcements are not far behind. The Pirates recalled former top prospect Quinn Preister and are hoping he can figure things out. Sooner than later, their current top prospect Paul Skenes, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB Amateur Draft, will join the staff as well.
The Pirates are hoping that Jones can continue his historic start and help lead the team to a turnaround. With his electric stuff and impressive strikeout rate, Jones has the potential to be a key part of the Pirates’ future success.
