The Pirates are hiring Astros pitching coach Invoice Murphy as their new pitching coach, sources informed MLB.com. The membership has but to verify the story.
Murphy, 36, has spent the previous decade within the Astros’ group, beginning as a Rookie Ball pitching coach in 2016 earlier than rising to their pitching coordinator in ‘19 and assistant pitching coach in ‘21. He was elevated to one among Houston’s two Main League pitching coaches after the ‘21 marketing campaign, and the Astros have boasted among the greatest pitching in baseball since then, main the Majors in crew ERA (3.61) for the reason that begin of the ‘22 season.
This 12 months, the Astros completed eighth in crew pitching WAR (18.0) in MLB per FanGraphs and had been tied for eleventh in ERA (3.86).
Murphy began his teaching profession within the collegiate ranks with Georgetown and Brown. His background in participant growth has additionally been a commonality in lots of Pirates teaching hires.
Murphy labored below Brent Strom early in his teaching profession. Strom was the Pirates’ assistant pitching coach in 2025, however he declined to return amid a shakeup on the teaching workers. Whereas his stint was quick, he did make an impression, specializing in instructing.
The Pirates opted to not renew Oscar Marin’s contract on the finish of this season after getting enter from pitchers believing they might attain one other stage. The 2025 workers was among the best within the Nationwide League, ending seventh in baseball in ERA (3.76) and fourth in WAR, in response to FanGraphs (19.1).
NL Cy Younger Award favourite Paul Skenes anchored that group, however the group has among the best collections of younger pitchers in baseball. Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler and Mike Burrows all made robust leaps to the Majors of their rookie campaigns, Mitch Keller has been a gentle pressure within the rotation, Johan Oviedo made his return from Tommy John surgical procedure and Jared Jones ought to return from his elbow surgical procedure in 2026.
The Pirates nonetheless have some holes to fill on supervisor Don Kelly’s teaching workers, most notably discovering a brand new third-base coach.
