The nice part of doing an all time 25-man roster is you can pretty much have the most dominant bench imaginable. This bench features the all time home run king and lots of former All Stars. Not bad at all.
You need a backup catcher and to me Manny Sanguillen is one of the most underrated players in Pirates’ history. Known for his infectious smile and constantly being seen at PNC Park, it’s easy to forget that during his playing career, Sanguillen was a tremendous catcher and a part of two World Series teams.
1500 hits, 65 home runs, .296BA/.326OBP/.398SLG/.724OPS/102OPS+/27.5 WAR
A lot of fans may have never heard of Jake Beckley, but he was the first great first baseman in Pirates’ history because he was literally the first first baseman in Pirates’ history. He was a member of the team’s inaugural season as the Pirates in 1891. Prior to that they were known as the Alleghenies. Beckley was an outstanding player and eventually became a member of the Hall of Fame.
2934 hits, 87 home runs, .308BA/.361OBP/.436SLG/.797OPS/125OPS+/61.5 WAR
Andy Van Slyke was one of the most popular players in Pirates’ history and part of the “Proud Again” era of the late 80s and early 90s. He was one of the leaders of the three consecutive National League East titles from 1990-1992. He was a five-time Gold Glove winner and a three-time All-Star.
1562 hits, 164 home runs, .274BA/.349OBP/.443SLG/.792OPS/119OPS+/41.2 WAR
Barry Bonds is one of the most polarizing figures in Major League history, but no one can deny that he was easily one of the greatest players of all time. He got his start with the Pirates and while he’s best known as a Giant, it’s hard to ignore the two MVPs he won as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
2935 hits, 762 home runs, .298BA/.444OBP/.607SLG/1.051OPS/182OPS+/162.4 WAR
Bill Madlock was already an All-Star when he joined the Pirates in 1979, but his trade was a huge reason why the Pirates were able to win the 1979 World Series. Madlock was a hitting machine during his Pirates’ career, winning two of his four career batting titles with Pittsburgh.
2008 hits, 163 home runs, .305BA/.365OBP/.442SLG/.807OPS/123OPS+38.0 WAR
The last man on our Pirates all time 25-man roster is a sports legend, and not just in baseball, as he was also a fantastic college basketball player for the Duke Blue Devils. He was so good in college that Duke retired his number in 1952. Dick Groat was the 1960 NL MVP, in addition to being a five-time All-Star and a two-time World Series champion. Not a bad résumé for the last man on the roster.
2138 hits, 39 home runs, .286BA/.330OBP/.366SLG/.696OPS/89OPS+/36.7 WAR
As this current iteration of the Pittsburgh Pirates continue to make a name for themselves, it’s interesting to wonder who on the current roster might be able to supplant these names above. With a franchise that is as storied as the Pirates, it may take some significant accomplishments to do so.
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