Around the Curve | Curve Broadcasters Make Their Predictions for the 2026 Season

CURVE, Pa – It’s every baseball fan’s favorite two words: Opening Day! The Curve return to Peoples Natural Gas Field tonight to open the 2026 season against the Harrisburg Senators, Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals.

Curve broadcasters Jon Mozes and Preston Shoemaker are beginning their sixth season together on the Curve Radio Network, matching Rob Egan and Jason Dambach (1999-2004) for the longest-tenured broadcast duo in Curve franchise history! You can learn more about the two and find broadcast information here.

Jon and Preston are ready to share their bold predictions for the 2026 season!

1. Who will lead the 2026 Altoona Curve in home runs?

Jon – Omar Alfonzo. With about half of a Double-A season under his belt already, I think this is the breakout year for Alfonzo where people start to learn just how good of a player he is.

Preston – Callan Moss. When the Pirates acquired him from the Royals last summer, he had just seven home runs in 92 games for Quad Cities. He went on to hit six more for Greensboro while hitting .339 in 30 games. Moss has raw power and can sneak some over the short wall in left field. As someone who is likely on the roster for most of the season, I think he has a good shot to lead the squad.

2. What player on the roster has the makings to be named the team’s MVP?

Jon – Keiner Delgado. Delgado is a versatile infielder with the ability to hit for average and a discerning eye at the plate that should make him an on-base machine. A switch-hitter always ensures he’ll have the platoon advantage against opposing pitchers.

Preston – Mitch Jebb. Mitch was last season’s Unsung Hero award winner, but he was arguably in the running for Most Valuable Player until Nick Cimillo kicked into a new gear down the stretch. His defense in center field plus his speed and hitting ability makes him incredibly valuable for this Curve team. The question becomes: will he be in Altoona long enough to win this award?

3. Who is a player on the roster that you can envision quickly getting the promotion to Triple-A?

Jon – Khristian Curtis. Curtis has the prototypical size for a major league starting pitcher and an elite fastball. With the Pirates eyeing their first playoff appearance since 2015, I could see Curtis following a similar path that Hunter Barco walked a year ago where he’s an option for the major league roster by mid-June.

Preston – Duce Gourson. As a left-handed hitting infielder, Gourson fills a role that the Pirates lack in the upper levels of the minor league system (Termarr Johnson and Enmanuel Valdez in Indy, plus Tyler Callihan.) Gourson is 23 years old and hit .284 with 10 stolen bases and five home runs in 56 games with the Curve last season. He could be one of the better weapons on this roster, and if the spot opens up in Indy, he could be a guy to make the jump.

4. Which prospect not currently with the Curve are you most excited to potentially see in Altoona?

Jon – Seth Hernandez. All it took was about one inning of a backfields game at Pirate City to see how good Seth Hernandez can be. Big fastball, feel for two breaking balls for strikes and a nasty changeup, Pittsburgh’s first round pick from last year has the tools to pitch in Double-A right now. Given that he’s 19, it’s reasonable for him to get used to professional baseball in the warm Florida sun to start the year, though I am hopeful he follows a similar path to Double-A like Konnor Griffin.

Preston – Wyatt Sanford. He played just 64 games last season between the FCL and Bradenton, and yet the 20-year-old is starting in High-A Greensboro. The former 2^nd round pick out of high school is someone who the Pirates are very high on, and if he can perform with the Grasshoppers to start the year, its not out of the question for him to be playing up the middle in Altoona at the end of the season.

5. How many Major League debuts can we expect to see this season?

Jon – 4. My suspicion, other than Konnor Griffin, is that the Pirates may look outside the organization for in-season upgrades other than reaching down into the minor leagues.

Preston – 6. Konnor Griffin is a given, but I also think Brandan Bidois, Wilber Dotel, Ryan Harbin, and Antwone Kelly could pitch their way there with their 40-man spots if they remain healthy. There are also a few sneaky candidates playing in other organizations (Tyler Samaniego – BOS and Domingo Gonzalez – SEA) who are holding down 40-man spots and could get a shot this year.

6. Who will emerge as the top bullpen weapon for the Curve this season?

Jon – Jaden Woods had a about as up-and-down a season as a reliever can have a year ago, but the tools for success are still there. He’s still only 24 years old and has the type of power fastball that can set him apart from other lefties on the roster.

Preston – Mike Walsh. He isn’t starting the year in Altoona because of an oblique injury at the end of spring, but Walsh was no stranger to big moments last season and has the stuff and mentality to be the guy in big spots for the Curve once healthy.