Pirates All 40: Don’t Forget About Johan Oviedo

This is one in a series of stories breaking down members of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster.

It’s been a while since anyone has seen Johan Oviedo pitch for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The big right-hander missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery exactly one year ago Friday. But before his injury, Oviedo was one of just two starting pitchers in the Pirates’ rotation to finish the 2023 season. Mitch Keller was the other.

Oviedo’s 2023 campaign was his first chance as a full-time starting pitcher in the Major League was encouraging, despite having to pick up more slack than anticipated. He finished the year with 32 starts and 177.1 innings pitched, both of which were easily career-highs. On the year, Oviedo went 9-14 with a respectable 4.31 ERA, 83 walks and 158 strikeouts.

The highlight of his first true big-league showing came late in the year, when he threw a complete-game shutout against the Royals in Kansas City in his final start of August. Oviedo allowed a pair of hits, walked two and struck out five.

As Oviedo gears up to return to the mound, he does so looking to join a much stronger starter rotation than the last time he suited up.

The Pirates’ 2025 rotation is headlined by rookie sensation Paul Skenes, fellow promising rookie Jared Jones and Mitch Keller. Pittsburgh also has Luis Ortiz and Bailey Falter, both of whom fared well while receiving their first extended looks in the big leagues.

Given the depth of starting pitching the Pirates have — with more on the way — the Pirates could ease Oviedo back by starting him out if the bullpen if they decide that’s the best course of action.

But no matter how he starts out for the Pirates or where he ends up, Oviedo will once again be counted on to provide valuable innings.

Background

• Oviedo signed with the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent from Cuba in 2016.
• The Pirates acquired Oviedo along with prospect Malcom Nuñez in an intra-division trade in 2022. Pittsburgh sent pitchers Jose Quintana and Chris Stratton to St. Louis.
• After he was traded to the Pirates, Oviedo went 2-2 with a 3.23 ERA in seven starts to close out the 2022 season. Before the trade, the Cardinals were using him almost exclusively as a relief pitcher that season.
• Oviedo led the National League in 2023 with 13 hit batters and was tied for the league lead with one shutout.
• Contract status: Oviedo is arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason and is projected to earn $1.5 million, per MLB Trade Rumors. He will reach free agency following the 2027 season.