Watch Pirates Break Out Welding Mask to Celebrate 1st HR of MLB Season vs. Mets

Brandon Lowe made a strong impression in his first plate appearance as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates by hitting the first homer of the 2026 MLB season on Thursday.

After Lowe took New York Mets starter Freddy Peralta deep for a two-run shot in the top of the first inning, he celebrated by wearing a welding mask in the dugout to honor the Steel City heritage of Pittsburgh.

Amid criticisms about the lack of spending from ownership over the years, the Pirates at least tried to give indications they were going to take a different approach in the offseason.

They reportedly made an offer to Kyle Schwarber that would have been the richest deal in franchise history, but their pursuit came up short when Schwarber opted to return to the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Pirates did end up making some moves, with the acquisition of Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays being the biggest one. His 116 OPS+ in 2025 would have ranked second among all Pirates players, behind only Spencer Horwitz (118).

Lowe hit 31 homers last season and has averaged 24 dingers per year since 2021. The Pirates haven't hade a player reach 30 homers in a season since Josh Bell in 2019.

Unfortunately, the Pirates' celebration was short-lived because the bottom of the first was a disaster. Paul Skenes, aided by some rough defense in center field by Oneil Cruz, allowed five runs on four hits and two walks before being pulled after recording two outs in the shortest start of his career.