PITTSBURGH — The Pirates know who most of their most important players will be next season, but there's always an opportunity for a new addition to make his mark.

The Pirates claimed outfielder Akil Baddoo off of waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers on Nov. 3 and added him to their 40-man roster.

Baddoo joins the Pirates with five years of MLB experience and helps the team with outfield depth.

It's a big chance for Baddoo to show he belongs in the major leagues, and can contribute to a team on the cusp of doing something special in 2027.

Baddoo Working Back to Become Regular MLB Player

It's been an up-and-down career for Baddoo, which he said during his Zoom press conference with local media.

Baddoo excelled almost immediately with the Detroit Tigers in 2021, who took him with the third overall pick in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, despite not playing above High-A.

He hit a home run in his first at-bat in 2021 and then became the first player in the Modern Era (since 1900), to hit two home runs, a grand slam and a walk-off hit in his first three games.

Baddoo finished 2021 with a slash line of .259/.330/.436 for an OPS of .766, with 107 hits, 20 doubles, seven triples, 13 home runs, 55 RBI and 18 stolen bases.

It's not been easy for him since then, with just one season playing at least 100 games at the major league level, 2023, where he hit .218/.310/.372 for an OPS of .682 in 112 games.

Baddoo played 73 games in 2022, 31 games in 2024, and then just seven games in 2025 before electing free agency.

It's been a wild few years for Baddoo, who learned a lot over the past few years and took to journaling to help him recognize progress and where he needs to improve.

“Yeah when I first got there, because it happened fast, I was coming from High-A to the big leagues and I had to make an adjustment, which I did and with that, I kind of didn’t know," Baddoo said.

"I was at such a young age and I was just learning as much as possible, trying to be a sponge and I was doing those things and didn’t know how I was doing it."

"I’m at the stage where I’ve learned a lot and I apply that to my everyday and did a lot of journaling and just kind of just taking that, each and every day to kind of help me become a better baseball player.

"So I think that helped me a lot in my journey as a big leaguer and the ups-and-downs, just staying even-keeled and sticking with the plan and staying mentally strong through all of that.”

Baddoo Resets With Brewers in 2026

Baddoo spent the 2026 season with the Brewers organization, but didn't play a game in the major leagues for the World Series winners.

He dealt with a quad injury that set him back the first two months of the season, and hit .252/.342/.469 for an OPS of .811 in 64 games for Triple-A Nashville, with 58 hits, 11 doubles, 11 home runs and 47 RBI.

It was an important year for Baddoo, who got to be a part of a winning culture and work with the coaching staff throughout.

Baddoo also credits them for helping him get back fully fit from his quad injury, running at full speed now and doing his daily agility and speed training in the offseason.

“Yeah I mean, the Brewers are a wonderful, wonderful organization," Baddoo said. "I speak highly of them. It was an up-and-down situation with the injuries and everything, but I learned a lot.

"Those young guys they had there, just teaching them the ways and everything, and I was just staying consistent and staying within myself.

"Controlling what I can control and just continue to do great things if I’m in Triple-A or if I’m the big leagues, wherever it is. Just doing that and just picking the coaches’ brains as much as possible.”

Where Baddoo Fits with 2027 Pirates

The Pirates have a few outfielders on their roster, and Baddoo will have to fight for his opportunity in 2027.

Pittsburgh will most likely have Bryan Reynolds in left field, Oneil Cruz in center field and Esmerlyn Valdez in right field, with Jake Mangum as a fourth outfielder.

The Pirates also have outfielders like Billy Cook, Ronny Simon and Jhostynxon Garcia who will all look for playing time in 2027.

Baddoo is just relieved to be with a new team after going on waivers and is excited to be with the Pirates, noting their World Series victories.

He also wants to show that he can be a part of this Pirates team next season and help get them back to the postseason, joining an already good group of players.

“First of all, just get acclimated, just be a part of that culture," Baddoo said. "Feel like I’m athletic and I’ll just bring my athletic ability, my energy and just be myself and learn as much as I can from the Pirates.

"My main goal is to win and be in a winning organization, and they have a really good core, really good core of guys that are there and I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to this opportunity and just being a sponge and just playing my game and taking it day-by-day.”

Baddoo could've joined the Pirates back in 2020, as they had the first overall pick in the Rule 5 Draft that season.

It's been a wild ride for Baddoo, but joining the Pirates gives him a new chance to bounce back and become a contributor at the major league level once again.

“Yeah, I know, it’s kind of crazy to think about," Baddoo said. "You could’ve started your journey here with the Pirates, but I think everything happens for a reason and I think my time to be here is right now and I’m just looking forward to that.

"It’s actually kind of crazy to think about, but I usually just say everything happens for a reason and this is where I’m supposed to be right now, which I’m excited for.”