Unlike just about every season so far this decade beyond 2024, the Pittsburgh Pirates ' focus coming out of the All-Star break is on adding veteran talent as a means of pushing for a playoff spot.
At 50-47 and two games back of the last National League Wild Card spot, the Pirates will presumably be rather aggressive in upgrading their 26-man roster over the next couple of weeks leading up to the August 3 trade deadline , particularly when it comes to the bullpen.
Pittsburgh is also going to need reinforcements from the minor leagues throughout the remainder of the regular season while it looks to snap its 10-year postseason drought.
With that, here are three prospects who are likely to be called up by the club after the All-Star break officially concludes.
Indianapolis Indians relief pitcher Khristian Curtis (31) throws during a game celebrating the Indians' 30th anniversary Saturday, July 11, 2026, at Victory Field in Indianapolis. The Indians fell to the Mud Hens 4-3. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
One of the Pirates' lone top upper-level prospects who has yet to make his major league debut, Curtis could either be used as a spot starter or out of the bullpen.
The 24-year-old right-hander, whom FanGraphs lists as the club's No. 12 prospect, sits in the mid-to-upper 90s with his fastball and can touch 99 mph while also having a deep arsenal that includes a slider, curveball, cutter and changeup.
The former 12th-round pick's command (4.84 BB/9 this year) is extremely spotty, and he's prone to giving up homers (1.21 HR/9) in addition to sporting a 4.96 ERA over 18 outings (16 starts) totaling 74 1/3 innings for Triple-A Indianapolis, but Curtis has the stuff (31.6 percent strikeout rate) to succeed at the major league level and help Pittsburgh out down the stretch.
Brannigan made his major league debut for the Pirates on July 7 and went hitless in his only at-bat before later being sent back down to Triple-A Indianapolis after the club acquired Jacob Gonzalez and Brandon Eisert from the Chicago White Sox for the No. 34 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft and Jaden Woods.
He's not going to tear up big-league pitching even if he is off to a hot start in Triple-A with a 155 wRC+ in six games and has a fair amount of power. Where Brannigan can help out Pittsburgh, though, is as an athletic, strong-armed defender on the left side of the infield.
Should another injury occur or the Pirates decide to end the Jared Triolo experiment, Brannigan (No. 29 prospect per FanGraphs) is a prime candidate to return to the bigs.
May 26, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Brandan Bidois (77) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Amidst Pittsburgh's immense bullpen issues, Bidois has been given an extended run as a rookie.
First recalled from Triple-A on May 12, the Australian right-hander has pitched in 15 games and posted a poor 6.32 ERA. Bidois' numbers are even worse for Indianapolis, as he's logged a 7.31 ERA over 16 innings after putting himself on the map with a 0.74 ERA in 61 minor league frames during the 2025 campaign.
As a hard thrower, Bidois naturally has been plagued with command issues this season (6.19 BB/9 in Indianapolis and 6.89 BB/9 for the Pirates). The 25-year-old has no problems with striking out hitters, as evidenced by 13.50 K/9 in Triple-A and 11.49 K/9 in MLB, meaning he has the stuff necessary to get outs at the highest level.
If Pittsburgh still needs relievers once the deadline passes, giving Bidois another shot should be firmly on its radar.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/pirates/onsi as Three Pirates Prospects Most Likely to Be Called Up After All-Star Break .
