Jason Rollison

State College Spikes manager Johnny Rodriguez often feels that the first two weeks of any season in the Class A Short Season New York-Penn League is akin to spring training.

It’s no secret that Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen is the face of the franchise. One need look no further than the multitude of commercials, merchandise and other promotional endeavors to see a sea of No. 22s.

A sobering thought may have occurred to many Pittsburgh Pirates fans during the April 24 five-and-a- half-hour slugfest against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This team might have some serious issues.

Minor league baseball clubs are used to turnover. But for the 2016 Altoona Curve, this year’s changes will be exquisitely pronounced.

In doing what no Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher has done since Doug Drabek, Francisco Liriano will look to set the season off on the right foot on Sunday, April 3. Like Drabek, Liriano will be making his third consecutive Opening Day start for the club.

Pittsburgh Pirates’ “super-utility man” Josh Harrison will step into Neil Walker’s shoes as the team’s second baseman in 2016. In addition to the weight of replacing someone who was beloved by his hometown fans, Harrison may also feel the pressure of the team’s run production efforts. Harrison is known as a patient…

After losing Russell Martin to free agency in the 2014 offseason, the Pittsburgh Pirates seemed thin at one of the most important positions in baseball. Just one year later, catcher may just be the deepest position in the entire Pirates system. With both Triple-A prospect Elias Diaz and Single-A catcher-of-the-future Reese McGuire…

In 2015, the Pittsburgh Pirates were victorious in 98 games. To reach such a lofty number, they relied heavily on a relief pitching corps that established itself as the best in baseball. Last year’s crop, headlined by saves leader Mark Melancon, was unyielding in its efficiency. The group led all of baseball in earned…