Pirates
‘It’s Just a Confident Brand of Baseball,’ What’s Changed for Pirates Under Don Kelly?

Amidst a 12-26 start to the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton and tabbed bench coach Don Kelly as his replacement.
While the hole the Pirates dug themselves into through the first six weeks of the season still paints a bleak picture, there’s no denying how much better the team has looked under Kelly’s leadership.
Through his first 34 games as manager, Kelly and the Pirates have gone 17-17. While Kelly isn’t the sole reason for the club’s turnaround, he’s definitely had a part.
“We’re playing good,” reliever Dennis Santana said. “He’s been making good moves and everything. That last month that we’ve had, it’s been really good.”
Kelly had served as bench coach under Shelton for his entire tenure since he replaced Clint Hurdle following the 2019 season.
The 45-year-old Kelly, who seems to be respected by just about everybody around the league, had all the makings of a future manager and was a natural successor to Shelton.
“I think Donnie built such a great relationship as a bench coach. Now that he’s transitioning to the manager role, the communication and everything that he’s built as a bench coach is really paying dividends,” shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa said. “Just the personal connections, getting to know everybody on a personal level.”
The feeling inside the Pirates’ clubhouse at PNC Park is looser – almost like there’s been a collective sigh of relief.
Some of that is due to the team’s recent performance, but even during Kelly’s first few days on the job, there was a different energy.
“It’s been great,” said Bednar. “I’ve known Donnie a long time and he’s just the same guy. He’s just so positive and he always has our back. I’m happy for him to have this opportunity and he’s doing a great job.”
But what’s the biggest reason the Pirates have found the success under Kelly that eluded them under Shelton?
Kiner-Falefa pointed to one specific example early on that he feels is still the case now over a month into Kelly’s tenure.
In a game against the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park on May 11 – Kelly’s third game as manager – Jared Triolo stole third base as part of a double steal with Ke’Bryan Hayes. Triolo then scored on a passed ball to put the Pirates ahead 1-0, and the run was a big difference in their 4-3 win that day.
“I feel like that’s something he probably wouldn’t have done if Shelty was here,” Kiner-Falefa explained. “I don’t know why. I feel like Donnie trusts [Triolo] and [Triolo] trusts Donnie. He’s not afraid to make a mistake, and I feel like that’s the big difference. You got a clubhouse of young guys and veterans who are now not afraid to make mistakes.”
Early on in the season – it felt like nothing could go right for the Pirates.
They didn’t play well on the field. Off the field, the Pirates continued to suffer some self-inflicted publicity such as the ‘Bucco Bricks’ fiasco and replacing Roberto Clemente’s logo on the right field wall with a Surfside advertisement — among other things.
Well, the off-the-field debacles have stopped, and the Pirates have been winning more games.
“It’s just a confident brand of baseball,” said Kiner-Falefa of the Pirates under Kelly. “I think we show up everyday with an opportunity to win everyday instead of the opposite. I think that’s one of the biggest changes, is that there’s a belief that we’re gonna win the game.”
One other thing that’s been made clear to the Pirates is that their new manager has their backs.
Kelly, who is as even-keeled as they come, hasn’t been afraid to voice his frustrations when he feels like his team is getting disrespected.
He’s already been ejected from three games since taking over as manager, which has come as a surprise to even his players.
“When you talk to Donnie in person, you wouldn’t expect that kind of fire, but when it’s game time he’s locked in and will have our backs regardless,” Bednar said with a proud smile. “It’s been fun to watch and it definitely provides a little bit of a spark.”
When Kelly was first announced as new manager, the position didn’t come with the standard interim tag that so often happens with an in-season change. Instead, general manager Ben Cherington said that Kelly would be the team’s manager for the remainder of the 2025 season.
Though what happens after this year is still to be determined, some, including Kiner-Falefa, have already seen enough.
“It’s been a full 360. I feel like we’re playing great baseball,” he said. “The guys want to do everything in our power to make sure Donnie – that’s his job. I think that’s our goal in here is to make sure he gets that job full time.”