After facing last year’s American League Cy Young winner in Detroit, the Pittsburgh Pirates will get a two-time National League Cy Young winner on Friday.
The Bucs lost 9-2 to Tarik Skubal and the Tigers in Game 1 of their series-ending doubleheader Thursday (yet salvaged the second game with a 8-4 win in 10 innings).
Now they’ll face Jacob deGrom and the Texas Rangers to open a weekend series at PNC Park on a Fireworks Night.
A former New York Met, deGrom won the N.L. Cy Young twice (2018, ‘19). Now, he is off to a strong start in 2025 with the Rangers after logging just nine starts in his first two years in Arlington.
The 37-year-old needed Tommy John surgery in June of 2023. But so far this season, the right-hander is 6-2 with an ERA of 2.19 and a WHIP of 0.91 (third in the American League). He also has 80 strikeouts against 17 walks.
Jacob deGrom, Unfair 90mph Back Foot Slider. ???? pic.twitter.com/psHHuwkPrc
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 7, 2025
Because of injuries and the covid-19-shortened 2020 season, deGrom hasn’t started more than 15 games in a season since 2019. He has 14 starts already this season. Mike Burrows (1-1, 4.24 ERA) will oppose him on the mound for the Pirates.
The Rangers enter the series 36-39, fourth in the American League West, seven games back of the division-leading Houston Astros.
Texas has lost three in a row. It just got swept at home by the Kansas City Royals. The Rangers have one of the worst road records in Major League Baseball. They are 13-23. The Chicago White Sox (7-31) are the only American League team worse away from home.
More sports
• Tim Benz: ESPN crew misses the mark on Steelers analysis
• Steelers RG Mason McCormick talks, plays like a veteran belying his 2nd-year NFL status
• Wyndham Clark says he ‘deeply regrets’ damaging Oakmont locker during U.S. Open
The Pirates are 30-46. That puts them in last place of the National League Central. But they have at least been decent at home, posting a 19-19 record.
As of now, Kumar Rocker (2-4, 7.31) is slated to face Mitch Keller (1-9, 4.08) on Saturday. Keller hasn’t won a game since his first start on March 28.
Rocker was — at one point — a potential Pirates’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft. But Ben Cherington decided to select Henry Davis, and Rocker went No. 10 overall out of Vanderbilt to the New York Mets.
The right-hander never signed and ended up getting re-drafted by the Rangers in 2022 after a stint in the Frontier League. He had Tommy John surgery in May of 2023.
Rocker’s Vandy teammate, Jack Leiter, pitches Sunday. He’s 4-4 with a 4.40 ERA. The right-hander was drafted one pick after Davis in 2021.
