After winning just 12 of their first 38 games, the Pittsburgh Pirates have fired manager Derek Shelton.
Shelton, who was in his sixth year as the Pirates’ skipper, is the first manager to be fired this season.
The move comes as the Pirates began the year as a fringe playoff contender, thanks to a talented young starting rotation headed by 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes.
However, the offense has been the worst in the majors in the early going – averaging an MLB-low 3.11 runs per game. And the pitching staff has posted a collective 4.31 ERA, ranking 21st out of 30 teams.
“The first quarter of the season has been frustrating and painful for all of us. We have to do better,’ said Pirates chairman Bob Nutting. ‘There is a lot of baseball left to be played. We need to act with a sense of urgency and take the steps necessary to fix this now to get back on track as a team and organization.”
Bench coach Don Kelly – a Pittsburgh native who spent nine seasons in the majors with the Pirates, Tigers and Marlins – will take over as interim manager.
“Derek worked incredibly hard and sacrificed a lot over five-plus years,” general manager Ben Cherington said in a statement. “His family became a big part of the Pirates family, and we will miss that. He’s an incredibly smart, curious and driven baseball leader. I believe he was the right person for the job when he was hired. I also believe that a change is now necessary. I wish Derek and his family all the best in their next chapter.”
Shelton was hired prior to the 2020 season and went 306-440 as Pittsburgh’s manager, losing 101 games in 2021 and 100 in 2022, finishing 76-86 each of the past two years.