Breaking Down Pirates Decision to Use Carmen Mlodzinski as 5th Starter
The battle for the fifth spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting rotation has been settled. For a second straight season, Carmen Mlodzinski will begin the year as a starting pitcher.
Mlodzinski, who will make his season debut in the Pirates’ third game of the season against the Mets in New York on Sunday, will join Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler in the rotation.
Mlodzinski had a solid showing in spring training. The 27-year-old made four appearances/three starts and had a 2.92 ERA. In 12.1 innings, he allowed five runs (four earned) on 15 hits with two walks and 14 strikeouts.
As the season nears and the rotation takes shape, the Pirates find themselves in the middle of the FanDuel MLB betting picks for the 2026 World Series (+6000), but oddly the FanDuel research team still has them as long shots in the Central Division.
The Pirates first shifted Klodzinski from his regular bullpen role to the starting rotation to begin the 2025 season. It was a rough go of things for the right-hander, who went 1-4 with a 5.67 ERA in nine starts before he was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. When he returned to the Pirates in the middle of June, Mlodzinski shifted back to his relief role and had a 2.12 ERA to end the season.
The decision to convert Mlodzinski back again to the rotation is a gamble but one that was almost needed given the options competing for the final spot. Veterans José Urquidy and Mike Clevinger, the latter of whom was a non-roster invite this spring, didn’t do much to make their case. The other option was rookie left-hander Hunter Barco, who instead reportedly cracked the roster as a length option in the bullpen.
Mlodzinski has proven to be an effective reliever during his time in the big leagues. In 92 career appearances out of the bullpen with the Pirates, he had a strong 2.71 ERA and is averaging roughly a strikeout per inning.
While Mlodzinski did his part to earn a rotation spot during spring, the Pirates’ decision to not add a veteran starting pitcher in free agency or trade is the main reason they will experiment with him in the starting rotation again.
If all goes well, it will of course be a good thing for the Pirates. But given that the Pirates first decided to convert Mlodzinski to a bullpen role while he was still in the minor leagues and looking at what he did last season, there are some reasons to be skeptical.
If Mlodzinski struggles out of the gate, the Pirates can always use Barco out of the rotation instead or one of the veterans, at least until Jared Jones returns from elbow surgery in late May or early June.
While there is some upside with the bullpen, using Mlodzinski as a starting pitcher leaves a void. Having Barco helps, but there are still several question marks within the group of relievers heading into the start of the season. And again, it was somewhat surprising to see the Pirates not make another addition this offseason.
Dennis Santana will be the primary closer. Gregory Soto is a solid lefty leverage arm. Isaac Mattson will hope to replicate his breakout season. Justin Lawrence was really good when healthy last season but missed most of the year. Mason Montgomery has an electric arm but is largely unproven. The final two spots will go to Yohan Ramírez and Urquidy.
There are some things to like in regards to the current bullpen construction and there are also some things to be hesitant about, but there is no question it would look better with Mlodzinski as part of it.
But at least for now, he’ll be a starting pitcher. The Pirates shouldn’t be in a position to experiment this season given their oft-stated goal of reaching the postseason for the first time since 2015. Because of that, Mlodzinski will likely be on a short leash.
For his sake and that of the Pirates, hopefully he’ll be able to carry over his spring performance to the regular season. At least until Jones returns to the mound and another decision awaits.
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