Around the Curve | Dumitru Leads Curve Into Second Half
CURVE, Pa. - Titus Dumitru tries to keep it simple. In his maiden voyage at Double-A he, like many others, faced adversity in his first season with the Curve. And with that adversity has come the inevitable task of making an adjustment to what the game is telling him about
CURVE, Pa. - Titus Dumitru tries to keep it simple. In his maiden voyage at Double-A he, like many others, faced adversity in his first season with the Curve. And with that adversity has come the inevitable task of making an adjustment to what the game is telling him about his swing, though the Oregon native always comes back to a quote that he saw on social media.
“I can’t remember who said it, but from the time your 12 years old to the time your 35, your swing really doesn’t change that much,” Dumitru shared on the Curve Radio Network, flown by Contour Airlines, in early-June. “I kind of went back to what I did as a little kid, my Dad taught me to have a big leg kick and open up the stance a little bit when I first learned baseball and I’ve kind of gone back to what I know.”
The adjustment helped Dumitru break out of an early-season funk with the Curve and step into a leading role for the offense. Through play on July 1, Dumitru leads the club with 11 home runs and just recorded his best month of the season at the plate, batting .279 in June with seven extra-base hits in 20 games.
“I opened up my back foot a little bit and getting into my hip a little better,” Dumitru shared before a game at PNG Field in June. “I can sort of sit and be early and wait for the pitcher instead of trying to rush to meet the ball where it is. It’s definitely helped me feel more confident at the plate,”
That confidence has carried over to others on the club over the last few weeks. Dumitru, who was acquired by the Pirates last season from Atlanta on July 1 in exchange for former Curve righty Hunter Stratton, has stepped into a leadership role for the team in 2026. Alongside 2025 Greensboro teammates Callan Moss, Jesus Castillo, Keiner Delgado, Will Taylor and Ivan Brethowr, Dumitru is often found in the middle of any clubhouse debate or card game. With the trade well into the rear view mirror now, Dumitru paces the halls of PNG Field with the confidence and swagger of a leader, something the Curve hope to see more of in the second half as they compete for a second straight postseason berth.