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Series Preview: Blue Jays return to Rogers Centre to host Pirates
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Photo credit: © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
May 22, 2026, 17:30 EDTUpdated: May 22, 2026, 17:38 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays are treading water.
As you know, the reigning American League champions have dealt with a plethora of injuries in the first two months of the season. Players like George Springer and Trey Yesavage have had a stint on the injured list, but have returned. But key players like Addison Barger, Alejandro Kirk, and Shane Bieber have spent most or all of the season on the IL.
On April 18, the Blue Jays’ lost 6-2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, dropping their record to 7-13. Since then, they are 16-13, losing just two of their last night series, which both came against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Most recently, the Jays earned a series split in the Bronx, but are 11 games behind the Rays for top spot in the American League East. The division hasn’t been won yet by any means, but the Jays need to start winning more consistently than they have in the last month.
This weekend, the Jays return home to host the 26-24 Pirates, then the 22-29 Miami Marlins. Let’s take a look at the Pirates.

Examining the Pirates

It’s now been over a decade since the Pirates made the postseason, and seven season since they finished with a record above .500. But over a quarter of the way through the season, the Pirates are still in the hunt.
A good farm system is starting to pay off the National League Central team, especially in the starting pitching department. Entering Friday’s game, the Pirates’ starters have a 3.64 ERA and 3.49 FIP, ranking seventh and third respectively. Their 23.3 K% ranks 10th in the big leagues, while they’ve walked just 7.8% of batters, tied for the sixth-lowest BB% in the big leagues.
As for their relief pitching it sits in the middle of the pack with a 4.13 ERA (17th-best) and 4.14 FIP (19th-best). Their relief pitching still strikeout batters at nearly the same clip, 23%, but the Pirates relievers have a 10.8 BB%, 10th-worst in the league. Overall, the Pirates have given up 44 home runs this season, tied for the fifth fewest for any pitching staff in baseball.
Finally, their offence has been good two months into the season. They’re slashing .253/.335/.391, giving them a 105 wRC+, tied for sixth-best in Major League Baseball. Their 52 home runs rank in the middle of the pack, 17th to be exact.
They’re on the cusp of their window of contention, and a big reason they’re here is thanks to the player the Jays need to watch out for.

One player to watch: Paul Skenes

Was it going to be anyone else?
Drafted first overall in 2023, Skenes has become one of the best pitchers in baseball, and that may be underselling it.  In 2024, he had a 1.96 ERA and 2.44 FIP, winning the National League’s Rookie of the Year. The following season was just as dominant, authoring a 1.97 ERA and 2.36 FIP in 187.2 innings pitched, winning the NL’s Cy Young.
He’s looked a bit less dominant in 2026, as his ERA has jumped to 2.62, with a 2.65 FIP in 55 innings pitched. Still, he’s striking out 30.3% of the batters, while his 3.8 BB% is set to be a career-best. The cause for the jump in his ERA was his first start and most recent start, as he gave up five earned runs in each of those games. In his other eight games, Skenes has given up just six earned runs.
The Jays have faced Skenes in the past, scoring two earned runs off the game’s best pitcher on August 18th, 2025. Ultimately, they lost that game 5-2, which didn’t hurt them in the end. They’ll face Skenes on Saturday, but more on that in the quick hits.

Quick Hits

  • Saturday’s game is going to be a tough one, as Patrick Corbin is set to go up against Skenes. Since signing, Corbin has stabilized the back-end of the Jays rotation, but has given up three earned runs in each of his last two games.
  • The Blue Jays will face another youngster in the Pirates rotation on Friday, as 23-year-old Bubba Chandler is set to get the ball against Kevin Gausman. So far this season, Chandler has a 5.14 ERA and 5.84 FIP in 42 innings pitched.
  • In the series finale on Sunday, Mitch Keller starts for the Pirates, while Dylan Cease gets the ball for the Jays. Keller is the lone starter in the Pirates rotation over the age of 28, and he has a 3.86 ERA and 3.51 FIP in 10 games this season.
  • Brandon Lowe has easily been the Pirates’ best hitter this season, slashing .256/.348/.558 with 13 home runs in 198 plate appearances. A former Ray, Lowe has great numbers against the Blue Jays in his career.
  • Former Blue Jay Spencer Horwitz is off to a good start, slashing .277/.384/.431 with four home runs in 164 plate appearances for a 131 wRC+. That’s tie with Ryan O’Hearn for the second-highest wRC+ on the Pirates.
  • Oneil Cruz’s 10 home runs are second on the team, while Brayan Reynolds, Nick Gonzales, and Konnor Griffin all have a wRC+ above 100. This is Griffin’s first season in the big leagues, as the Pirates drafted the 20-year-old ninth overall in 2024.
  • The last time the Pirates travelled to Toronto, the Jays’ Davis Schneider hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 13th in series opener on May 31st, bringing his season wRC+ to 135. He had a rough second half to his season, before becoming a valuable member of the Blue Jays’ bench in 2025.
  • Home games on Sunday usually have a start time of 1:37 PM ET, but this Sunday, the game starts at 12:15 PM ET.

Probable pitchers

Friday: Kevin Gausman/Bubba Chandler
Saturday: Patrick Corbin/Paul Skenes
Sunday: Mitch Keller/Dylan Cease

Game times

Friday: 7:07 PM ET
Saturday: 3:07 PM ET
Sunday: 12:15 PM ET
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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