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  • Penguins Overpower Panthers In Easter Eve Win

    The endangerment of the Florida Panther is a conversation usually reserved for the animal, with only a few hundred currently still alive. But sooner or later, we’re also going to have to discuss the endangerment of the hockey player variety. The defending back-to-back Stanley Cup champions are a shell of themselves as this season comes…

  • Konnor Griffin’s MLB Debut Etches His Name Into Pirates History

    As PNC Park celebrates its 25th season on the North Shore, the Pittsburgh Pirates christened the silver jubilee with one of the most electric moments in the ballpark’s history yesterday. Konnor Griffin, the consensus top prospect in all of baseball, made his major league debut with the Pirates on Friday, the latest step in the…

  • Reviewing Konnor Griffin’s Five-Game Triple-A Run

    Ahead of their home opener at PNC Park on Friday, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced the promotion of Konnor Griffin, baseball’s top prospect, to the big league club. When he suits up for the Pirates at PNC Park, he will become the first teenaged major leaguer since Juan Soto did it in Washington back in 2018.…

  • Elmer Söderblom Finally Settling Into Role With Penguins

    When the trade deadline rolled around last month, general manager Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins were pretty quiet. Far from the days where Dubas saw himself as a buyer in 2024 and a seller in 2025, Dubas’ third act was a rather silent one. His only move was to acquire forward Elmer Söderblom from…

  • Konnor Griffin Records First Extra-Base Hit Despite Third Straight Indianapolis Loss

    On Sunday, while the Pittsburgh Pirates were achieving their first win of the season in their series finale against the New York Mets, their Triple-A affiliate walked away still searching for theirs. The Indianapolis Indians fell to the St. Paul Saints 4-1 at Victory Field, suffering a sweep at home to open their season. But…

  • Konnor Griffin Records First Multi-Hit Game, RBI In Second Triple-A Start

    As the Pittsburgh Pirates were embarking on an 11-inning loss to the New York Mets, their Triple-A affiliate was also in action. Among the lineup for the Indianapolis Indians was Konnor Griffin, the top prospect in all of baseball. He was the leadoff bat against the St. Paul Saints, the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota…

  • Jake Mangum Shines In Pirates Debut

    When the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays were part of a three-team trade, Jake Mangum was an under-the-radar part of the deal. Power hitter Brandon Lowe, who racked up 31 home runs, was the major addition to the Pirate lineup. He was brought in to help a weak batting lineup generate more out of…

  • Konnor Griffin Notches First Hit, Scores Both Runs In Triple-A Debut

    Last night, the consensus top prospect in all of baseball made his Triple-A debut. Konnor Griffin, the 19-year-old phenom who battled for a spot on the big league roster this past spring, suited up for the Indianapolis Indians, the top minor league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He took reps at shortstop for the team’s…

  • Three Takeaways From Opening Day

    Alright, raise your hand if you saw Opening Day going this way for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Put your hand down, you’re lying. And it’s ok, I didn’t expect this either. In his first start of the season, the New York Mets lit Paul Skenes up. Skenes surrendered four hits, five earned runs, two walks, a…

  • Three New Pirates I’m Excited To Watch This Season

    My my, how far we’ve come. Some of my favorite tweets to see on Twitter/X yesterday was graphics of Opening Day lineups of Pirates past. If you’re someone who enjoys a trip down Memory Lane or “oh yeah, I forgot about that guy” avenue, it was fun to look back on previous starting lineups. But…

  • What Is “Success” For Henry Davis At The Plate This Season?

    When Paul Skenes takes to the mound this afternoon at Citi Field in New York, his battery mate Henry Davis will catch him behind the plate. For Skenes, the first overall pick in 2023, the ace will embark on his third season in the major leagues. His illustrious young career includes an NL Rookie of…

  • The Success Of Mitch Keller Is Vital To This Pirates Season

    On Saturday, Mitch Keller will take to the mound for the regular season for the first time in 2026. After Paul Skenes the takes the ball on Opening Day in New York City against the Mets, Keller will follow up in the second of the three-game, four-day series. This year will kick off Keller’s eighth…

  • Pirates Boast Best Spring Training Record In Nearly A Decade

    On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates officially wrapped up spring training. Despite ending the spring with a loss and dropping four of their last five in Grapefruit League play, the Pirates finished with a 17-13 record this spring. With a .567 winning percentage, it’s the best spring training mark the Pirates have had since 2017. That…

  • Ok, Let’s Talk About Goaltender Interference

    On Saturday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Penguins won a 5-4 thriller in the shootout, claiming a massive two points as they try to keep pace in an insanely crowded playoff race. Yes, you read that right: in the shootout. And on almost any other day, the Penguins winning just their second shootout in 12 games would…

  • Opinion: Konnor Griffin Starting In Triple-A Is Fine

    There were a lot of interesting names to watch at spring training this season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. But no name has attracted more attention than Konnor Griffin. The ninth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft and the consensus top prospect in baseball, Griffin was riding a 2025 season that saw him transcend three…

  • Opinion: Keep Carmen Mlodzinski In The Bullpen

    During the winter, general manager Ben Cherington made several moves in an attempt to help supplement Pittsburgh’s woes on offense. Among other moves in his quest for bats, he signed Ryan O’Hearn to the first multi-year deal the organization handed out in free agency since 2016, landed designated hitter Marcell Ozuna on the cheap, and…

  • LECOM Park, A Review

    A ballpark full of history in a city with an underrated connection with the sport, LECOM Park spends most of its time hosting the Bradenton Marauders.  The Marauders are the Low-A affiliate of the Pirates, and have stood as the starting point for many professional careers in the major leagues, both in Pittsburgh and elsewhere.…

  • The Magic Of Spring Training

    Major League Baseball doesn’t dominate the sporting world in this country and this region the way it once did.  Yes, the game is growing internationally in a phenomenal way. This year’s amazing iteration of the World Baseball Classic is the best possible showcase of that.  Back at home, however, the league can’t quite keep up…

  • Endy Rodríguez’s Strong Spring Could Make Home Plate A Tough Call For Bucs

    Bradenton, FL — The conversation surrounding the Pittsburgh Pirates is a little bit different this spring. For the first time in years, the Pirates might have a bit of a talent surplus on their hands. From newly acquired players like Jhostynxon Garcia, to budding talents like Konnor Griffin, to longtime members of the organization like…

  • Can Henry Davis Finally Get Going This Spring?

    Bradenton, FL — One of the names that was set to draw a lot of eyes this spring was Henry Davis. You probably know his story by now. The first overall pick in the draft back in 2021, Davis is about to embark on his fifth full season in the Pirates organization. A Louisville product,…

  • Kenneth Gainwell’s Free Agency Departure Puts Him On Odd Steelers Historical List

    NFL free agency is upon us, and although it didn’t officially start until Wednesday, the sport saw a ton of movement in the days leading up to the new league year. Kenneth Gainwell, the team MVP of the Pittsburgh Steelers from this past season, was not extended a contract by the Steelers and hit the…

  • Kaleb Johnson Has A Lot Of Work To Do

    Kenneth Gainwell was one of the biggest surprise stories in the NFL this past season. The former Philadelphia Eagle and Super Bowl champion signed a one-year deal worth a little under $2 million with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, switching allegiances to the other side of Pennsylvania. His signing coincided with the departure of Najee…

  • The Last Penguins Game Before Covid

    Every year around this time, I can’t help but look back on the whirlwind that was March of 2020. In seemingly the blink of an eye, the entire world flipped upside down as Covid-19 swept through the planet. This new and mysterious virus had so many of us afraid, and suddenly having to experience something…

  • Penguins Put It All On The Line In Historic Comeback Win

    You really can’t overstate how important Sunday night’s game at PPG Paints Arena was for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The night before, the Penguins lost in yet another shootout, continuing one of the NHL’s most inexplicable patterns as they failed to earn the second point in a 4-3 loss to Philadelphia. That same night, the New…

  • Penguins Acquire Elmer Soderblom In Quiet Deadline Day

    It was a pretty quiet day on Friday as the NHL trade deadline came and went. Though 34 trades were completed, involving 54 players and 38 draft picks moved, this year’s deadline didn’t have the blockbuster-type deals we saw at this time last year. In Pittsburgh, the phones were also pretty silent. In fact, general…

  • Trying To Predict A Possible Evgeni Malkin Suspension After Thursday Night’s Incident

    Last night was an ugly loss for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Embarking on their fifth game without the services of their injured captain Sidney Crosby, the Penguins suffered a 5-1 loss on home ice to the surging Sabres, a team who looks destined to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011. Few…

  • The Kyle Nicolas Trade Is A Risk For Both Clubs Involved

    Spring training action is well underway, but that hasn’t stopped Major League Baseball front offices from working the phones. Wednesday night, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati conducted a swap, with the Pirates sending right-handed reliever Kyle Nicolas in exchange for infielder/outfielder Tyler Callihan. For the Reds, they’re hoping to bring in a high-leverage arm who can help…

  • A Konnor Griffin Extension Is A No-Brainer For Both Sides

    The name attracting the most attention down in Florida during spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates is Konnor Griffin. The consensus top prospect in baseball and 19-year-old is battling for a roster spot with the Pirates. He’s already launched three of home runs, and he’s been a little snakebitten in the batting department, dragging down…

  • In The Outfield, All Eyes Are On Oneil Cruz

    During Wednesday afternoon’s spring training loss down in Florida to the Atlanta Braves, Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz badly misread an outfield hit by Drake Baldwin. As video shows, he overruns the fly ball by about ten feet as it drops near the wall, allowing Baldwin to get all the way to third base. It’s…

  • Penguins Play Near Perfect In First Game Back From Olympics, Missing Sidney Crosby

    For the first time in three weeks, last night was a hockey night in Pittsburgh. Following the Olympic break, the Penguins got back on the ice at PPG Paints Arena, hosting the visiting New Jersey Devils on their second night of a back-to-back. Making an appearance was Jack Hughes, the scorer of Team USA’s golden…

  • Sidney Crosby’s Injury Shouldn’t Alter Penguins’ Playoff Push…Yet

    Yesterday, Penguins fans braced themselves for the news they hoped wouldn’t come, but feared would. On Wednesday, the Penguins placed sidney Crosby, captain of Team Canada who was injured at the Winter Olympics on a hit by Czech defenseman Radko Gudas, on injured reserve. Per the team, he is expected to miss at least four…

  • Kyle Dubas Starts Trade Deadline Season With A Bang

    As NHL players are starting to come back home, things are starting to ramp up back in the league. Kyle Dubas, who was in Milan with Team Canada at the Winter Olympics, wasted no time working the phones once the tournament wrapped up. On Tuesday afternoon, the Penguins traded defenseman Brett Kulak to the Colorado…

  • Give Mike Sullivan Credit

    Before men’s ice hockey dropped the puck at the 2026 Winter Games in Milano Cortina, I talked about Mike Sullivan. The two-time Stanley Cup winner in Pittsburgh and current head coach of the New York Rangers was leading an American team into the Winter Games, searching for their first gold medal since the famed Miracle…

  • Nick Gonzales Has A Lot On The Line This Spring

    Spring training is officially underway, and although we couldn’t watch it on television yesterday, it’s a reminder of just how close the start of the regular season is. Here in Pittsburgh, one of the more interesting names to keep an eye on this spring is Nick Gonzales. He made his season debut in Grapefruit League…

  • Looking At Past Standout Spring Training Performances By Pirate Pitchers

    The Pittsburgh Pirates are all down in Bradenton, and in just a few days, spring training baseball will officially get underway. Few sports can pull off interesting preseasons, but the arrival of the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues are celebrated among baseball fans who endure long winters without the American pastime. For the Pirates, a lot…

  • Looking At Past Standout Spring Training Performances By Pirate Batters

    The Pittsburgh Pirates are all down in Bradenton, and in just a few days, spring training baseball will officially get underway. Few sports can pull off interesting preseasons, but the arrival of the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues are celebrated among baseball fans who endure long winters without the American pastime. For the Pirates, a lot…

  • Three Penguins The Olympic Break Might Help

    The Winter Olympics are well underway in Milan, and the ice hockey tournament features National Hockey League talent for the first time since the 2014 Games in Sochi. Here in Pittsburgh, the Penguins have sent four players off to the Milan Games: Sidney Crosby for Canada, Arturs Silovs for Latvia, and Erik Karlsson and Rickard…

  • Three Penguins The Olympic Break Might Hurt

    The Winter Olympics are well underway in Milan, and the ice hockey tournament features National Hockey League talent for the first time since the 2014 Games in Sochi. Here in Pittsburgh, the Penguins have sent four players off to the Milan Games: Sidney Crosby for Canada, Arturs Silovs for Latvia, and Erik Karlsson and Rickard…

  • Evgeni Malkin Makes The Decision For The Penguins Easy

    Coming into this season, Evgeni Malkin was experiencing perhaps his final year with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Drafted second overall in 2004 and arriving to the United States in a way only a thriller movie script could properly tell, Pittsburgh is the only home he’s ever known in the NHL. It’s the city where he won…

  • The Winter Olympics Will Be A Referendum On Mike Sullivan

    Tomorrow, American men’s ice hockey officially drops the puck at the Milano Cortina Olympics in Italy, marking the first Winter Games to include NHL talent for the first time since 2014. An already worldwide event will have even more eyes on it, with the game’s most recognizable names in the game suiting up for their…

  • If This Is It For Andrew McCutchen In Pittsburgh, He Deserved Better

    Yesterday morning, the Pirates made surprising headlines when they signed free agent Marcell Ozuna. The deal, pending a physical, will pay Ozuna $12 million for the 2026 season and carries a mutual option for 2027, which would bump his salary to $16 million. For the Pirates, it’s another signing that can help boost the abysmal…

  • Five Thoughts On The Super Bowl

    One: The Sam Darnold redemption arc is complete. I’m sure at this point, the Seattle quarterback is tired of hearing about the struggles of his early career. As you (and him) have both heard for the entire season, Darnold was a former third overall pick by the New York Jets in 2018. He suffered through…

  • The Penguins Prospect We All Will Be Talking About

    Eleven months ago, I was doing some digging through the stats of Pittsburgh’s prospect system. I was looking over stats and the occasional highlights, and during my search, one guy started to stick out to me. Avery Hayes. At this point in the time, the organization’s prospect pool was still relatively thin. Yes, the Penguins…

  • The Argument For And Against Drafting A Quarterback

    It’s quarterback week here at Fifth Avenue Sports! With the NFL season just days away from officially concluding, the Pittsburgh Steelers are entering another a pivotal offseason. In what has become almost an annual tradition now, the Steelers will embark on another search for a quarterback. With several options to weigh, I wanted to try…

  • The Argument For And Against Signing A Quarterback In Free Agency

    It’s quarterback week here at Fifth Avenue Sports! With the NFL season just days away from officially concluding, the Pittsburgh Steelers are entering another a pivotal offseason. In what has become almost an annual tradition now, the Steelers will embark on another search for a quarterback. With several options to weigh, I wanted to try…

  • The Argument For And Against Will Howard In 2026

    It’s quarterback week here at Fifth Avenue Sports! With the NFL season just days away from officially concluding, the Pittsburgh Steelers are entering another a pivotal offseason. In what has become almost an annual tradition now, the Steelers will embark on another search for a quarterback. With several options to weigh, I wanted to try…

  • The Argument For And Against Aaron Rodgers In 2026

    It’s quarterback week here at Fifth Avenue Sports! With the NFL season just days away from officially concluding, the Pittsburgh Steelers are entering another a pivotal offseason. In what has become almost an annual tradition now, the Steelers will embark on another search for a quarterback. With several options to weigh, I wanted to try…

  • How Should The Penguins Approach The Trade Deadline?

    I suppose in a normal season, it would be a little bit early to start outlining what plans should be for the NHL trade deadline. But this is no ordinary season in the NHL. For the first time since the 2014 games in Sochi, the NHL is allowing their players to go to the Olympics.…

  • This Is The Most Fun Penguins Team In Years

    Tonight at PPG Paints Arena, the Pittsburgh Penguins will celebrate the tenth anniversary of their 2016 Stanley Cup win. During a night that will involve many familiar faces from that championship-winning team, the Penguins will remember a team that brought Sidney Crosby his second ring and forever shut down discussions that his best days were…

  • Was The David Bednar Trade Necessary?

    In just a few weeks, pitchers and catchers will start to report, kicking off the unofficial start of baseball season with workouts. The Pittsburgh Pirates, heading into year three of Paul Skenes, had an unusually busy offseason. They swung a trade to acquire a power hitter and second baseman, signed their first multi-year free agent…

  • Roman Wilson’s Complicated Future In Pittsburgh

    The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of work to do. After a third straight season of finishing 10-7 and losing in the Wild Card round, it’s evident that there’s a lot that needs to change if the Steelers have serious hopes of contending, now or in the future. Some of that change is being forced…

  • Five Thoughts On The NFL On Championship Weekend

    One: Denver had a chance. Look, the Broncos faced a lot of setbacks heading into this game. Most notably, the absence of their starting quarterback Bo Nix. Jarrett Stidham, backup-turned-starter in the biggest game of the season, had not made a start in the NFL in 749 days and had became the first quarterback in…

  • What The Mike McCarthy Hire Tells Me About The Steelers

    On Saturday, Steelers fans got the long-awaited announcement they’ve been waiting for: the name of their next head coach. However, it wasn’t the name many fans were pulling for. The team announced that they had a “verbal agreement” with 62-year-old Mike McCarthy to become the new head coach of the Steelers, a decision that was…

  • How Andrew McCutchen Can Contribute To A Pirates Team In 2026

    Despite the winter storm expected to drop, PiratesFest is still expected to take place this weekend in Pittsburgh, kicking off the unofficial count down to spring training. One name that won’t be there, though, is Andrew McCutchen. The legendary Pirate and 2013 NL MVP is still a free agent, having not signed anywhere since his…

  • Ok, Let’s Talk About Mike McCarthy

    The Pittsburgh Steelers are in unchartered waters for the first time in nearly two decades. After 19-year head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down following the team’s disastrous playoff loss to Houston last week, the Steelers have started the process of figuring out who the next person up for the job will be. A lot of…

  • Revisiting The 2019 Penguins Draft Class

    Heading into training camp this season, the Penguins had two prospects battling it out in a crowded forward crop. Sam Poulin, the team’s first round pick from 2019, truly felt like he was in a make-or-break year as a 24-year-old. Valtteri Puustinen, a seventh round-pick who once seemed to have secured a roster spot in…

  • Penguins Acquire Lefty Defenseman From Avalanche

    The trade deadline is still over a month away, but NHL general managers are already antsy to get deals done ahead of the Olympic break in early February. On Sunday, Calgary traded defenseman Rasmus Anderson to Vegas for a package that included four assets. The deal Pittsburgh and Colorado made wasn’t anywhere at all on…

  • The Only Truly Meaningless Game Of Mike Tomlin’s Career

    Aside from his victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the most notable accomplishment of Mike Tomlin’s career was never having a losing season. In his 19 years as a head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tomlin’s team never once more lost games than they won. It was a streak that was consistently…

  • Five Thoughts On The NFL For The Divisional Round

    One: I don’t know about you all, but I really enjoyed the Houston vs New England game. To many, this wasn’t exactly the crisp, highlight-reel type game they were hoping for. But those kind of games, filled with nothing but pure chaos, are some of my favorites. If you can’t havre a 50-point shootout, might…

  • Does Will Howard’s Lack Of Experience Hurt Him Heading Into Next Year?

    It’s a new era for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the wake of Mike Tomlin, the 19-year head coach, stepping down from his post, the Steelers have a lot to figure out as they pick up the pieces from this season. But among the highest priorities heading into 2026 is figuring out who the quarterback will…