Last Updated: October 16th, 2026 by Matthew Brown
The Pittsburgh Pirates are baseball's blue-collar team. That's what the city of Pittsburgh has been for the United States of America. With all of that, there are actually a wide range of athletes who are all-time greats for this franchise.
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We want to talk about each one and their impact on the Pirates and baseball as a whole. There is no ranking here; we're just talking about players, and we will start with a man who needs no introduction.
12. Roberto Clemente: Baseball’s Humanitarian Hero
There is no Pirate in history who has had a bigger impact on the game, and the world, for that matter, than Roberto Clemente. It is rare to find a Hall of Fame player combined with a Hall of Fame person, but that's what we were blessed with in Roberto.
Whether it was his .317-hitting bat, his 12-time Gold Glove, or his humanitarian mind, he was an all-around icon.
11. Honus Wagner: The Flying Dutchman
The amazing mix of contact, power, and speed made Honus Wagner the ultimate weapon throughout his career. He won an unfathomable eight batting titles while leading in doubles seven times and triples three.
Advanced stats have only improved on Wagner's legacy, as he led in WAR a whopping 11 times in his career. He's also technically the most valuable player of his time because his T206 card is the most valuable sports card out there.
10. Willie Stargell: The Heart of “We Are Family”
Willie Stargell was a born leader. Even with all the talent on the roster, the Pirates would have gone nowhere if they were without Pops. It's hard to believe he was almost 40 years old when he helped lead the We Are Family Pirates to the 1979 World Series title.
He was the MVP of that year, capping off a Hall of Fame career that spanned 21 seasons.
9. Paul Waner: “Big Poison” at the Plate
Let's go back to 1927. Murderers' Row was dominating the American League and certainly on their way to a championship.
But all the while, a 24-year-old second-year player named Paul Waner was tearing up the National League, hitting .380 and winning the MVP Award. That was only the beginning of the 20-year career that eventually led to Cooperstown.
8. Ralph Kiner: The Home Run King
One of the shortest careers you'll find in the Hall of Fame, Ralph Kiner absolutely deserves it for how much of a home run hitter he was. He led the National League in home runs for seven straight seasons.
No other slugger was more iconic than Kiner during that time. If it weren't for World War II, he might have even more numbers to add to his already great legacy.
7. Bill Mazeroski: The World Series Hero
One moment is all it takes to become a Pittsburgh legend forever. Bill Mazeroski might be the subject of my favorite sports statue. The genuine elation as he rounded the bases for his historic 1960 World Series walk-off home run is immortalized outside the stadium.
That doesn't even cover the fact that he got seven All-Star nods and eight Gold Gloves.
6. Dave Parker: The Cobra Strikes
Pirates fans have been spoiled in right field as they've been able to witness Paul Waner, Roberto Clemente, and Dave Parker all become premier players at the position.
The Cobra had a great mix of offense and defense as he tallied 526 career doubles on a .290 lifetime batting average and rifled countless throws from the corner. That all led to his induction into the Hall of Fame.
5. Pie Traynor: The Hot Corner Master
Batting average was the key back in the day. Pie Traynor was one of the best at maintaining that statistic. His lifetime .320 batting average helped him lead Pittsburgh to a World Series title in 1925.
He got MVP votes for nine straight years, proving that he was considered one of the great players of the game at the time.
4. Max Carey: The Base Stealing Pioneer
This speed demon picked up the slack for an aging Honus Wagner as the Pirates saw him in scoring position constantly throughout his career. Max Carey became a huge part of Pittsburgh's success, leading the league in stolen bases 10 times.
That includes a .458 batting average, scoring six times with three steals in the 1925 World Series.
3. Arky Vaughan: The Shortstop Sensation
I think Arky Vaughan would have been a joy to watch live if I had the chance. He was one of the most dynamic shortstops of his time, maintaining a .318 lifetime batting average with a great 136 career OPS+. He had MVP numbers in 1935 with a .385 average and an impressive 1.098 OPS.
It seemed like not enough respect was given to the shortstop position at that time, as he only finished third that season.
2. Barry Bonds: The Pittsburgh Years
Many will say that Barry Bonds was on a Hall of Fame trajectory when he wore a Pirates uniform. It's tough to deny, as he led the league in WAR in his last three seasons in Pittsburgh, winning two National League MVPs.
It's pretty incredible to look at those seasons as he took over games with his power, speed, and defensive abilities, and the numbers support that.
1. Andrew McCutchen: The Modern Icon
It shows how good he was that Andrew McCutchen is included on this list of Pittsburgh icons. The 2013 MVP had a four-year stretch where he was top-five in MVP voting, winning a Silver Slugger in each of those seasons.
He has well over 2,000 career hits and brought this franchise to the playoffs when it seemed like they were destined for mediocrity.
