Bednar attended Mars Area High School in Mars, Pa., which is located just outside of Cranberry Township in the North Hills.
He went undrafted out of high school and stayed in Pennsylvania to pitch for Lafayette College before returning to western Pennsylvania to play collegiate summer ball for the Butler BlueSox.
His family still resides in Pittsburgh, and he still owns a home there.
So Bednar’s narrative didn’t come full circle when he was traded to the Pirates from the Padres in exchange for Joe Musgrove this offseason.
Everything just came into place. The right-hander made his first appearance in Bucs’ black and gold on Monday against the Blue Jays, pitching a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.
“I was just shagging [batting practice] yesterday when I noticed all the Pirates shirts,” Bednar, 26, said. “It just came to me.” “Wow, this is real,” I thought.
A.J. Burnett, Mark Melancon, Matt Capps, Jason Grilli, and Joel Hanrahan were among the Pittsburgh pitchers that came to mind when he was traded to the Pirates.
The former Buccaneers reliever is currently at Spring Training as the Triple-A Indianapolis pitching coach.
But it isn’t just Pittsburgh greats who have aided the 2016 Draft’s 35th-round pick in securing a Major League position.
How Much Does David Bednar Make?
David Bednar earns an annual salary of $715,000.