Rebuilding teams should be ascending past previous standards, not falling short.

They should not be taking steps backward. In the Pittsburgh Pirates’ case, not much progress has been made in the sixth season of this front office’s regime with a 32-50 mark just past the midway point.

Manager Derek Shelton was fired May 8 after Pittsburgh began the season 12-26 (.316 winning percentage).

Don Kelly was promoted from bench coach to interim manager. Since Kelly took over, the Pirates are 20-24 with a .455 winning percentage).

In order to match the team’s 76-86 matching records posted in 2023 and 2024, the Pirates must go 44-36 and win at a .550 clip.

As a franchise, Pittsburgh has a 10,871-10,869 mark.

Two straight losses and the team’s winning percentage would be exactly .500, a far cry from the squads that made 17 playoff appearances, earned nine pennants and won five World Series titles in 1909, 1925, 1960, 1971 and 1979.

The team is most likely heading toward its seventh straight losing season.

Watching the Pirates’ offense perform has been offensive at times. Pittsburgh ranks 29th out of 30 teams in runs scored (267) and is 30th with 55 home runs and a team .337 slugging percentage. Add in that Pittsburgh has struck out the second-most times (721) in the National League, it doesn’t lend to consistent offensive success by whiffing and not producing extra-base hits. The Pirates have been shut out 10 times, tied for the most in the league.

In one-run games, Pittsburgh is 15-18.

Banking on offseason acquisitions Adam Frazier, Spencer Horwitz and Tommy Pham to bolster the offense has been a failure up until this point.

Horwitz, the first baseman, missed all of spring training due to wrist surgery. The 27-year-old left-handed batter did not make his team debut until May 17 after being traded to Pittsburgh. He has seen an uptick in production recently and has a .685 on-base plus slugging percentage.

Frazier, 33, and Pham, 37, were brought in on one-year deals to bring veteran leadership and produce. Frazier has a .333 slugging percentage and will likely be traded at the deadline. Pham hit his first homer with the Pirates, his 10th team, Monday and has a meager .575 OPS.

Other players on expiring contracts that will likely be moved are left-handed starter Andrew Heaney, southpaw reliever Caleb Ferguson and shortstop/utility player Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Right-handed starter Mitch Keller and closer David Bednar could also be dealt for the right return come July 31.

To recap the first half of the season, let’s look back and hand out some awards.

MVP: Right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes. The top pick in the 2023 draft out of Louisiana State has been stellar. At 23, Skenes has a 2.12 earned run average and a 4-7 record due to low run support. Skenes has fanned 110 batters in 106 innings.

Top pitcher: Skenes. The right-hander averages 6.24 innings per start and is among the league leaguers in the statistic.

Top hitter: Second baseman Nick Gonzales. The right-handed slugger missed time between March 28 and June 3 with a fractured left ankle. His impact has been felt. Through 21 games, the 2020 first-round pick is slugging .494 and has an OPS+ of 125, 25% better than league average to lead the team. Gonzales went 5-for-5 Monday and is a strong run producer in the middle of the order.

Top rookie: Right-handed pitcher Braxton Ashcraft. Through 142/3 innings, Ashcraft has struck out 12 batters and has a 1.23 ERA. He made his big league debut May 26. He may be a reliever since the most innings he has pitched in one season is 73 in 2024.

Most consistent: Right-handed reliever Dennis Santana. Claimed off waivers in 2024, Santana is flourishing with his fifth different team. He has a 1.57 ERA with 26 punchouts in 341/3 innings, pitching in high-leverage situations due to Colin Holderman’s ineffectiveness and time on the injured list.

Biggest surprise: Right-handed reliever Chase Shugart. Acquired in a trade with Boston, Shugart has a 3.27 ERA over 33 innings. He is capable of eating up multiple frames in the bullpen.

Biggest disappointment: Third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes. With an OPS+ of 59, Hayes has not been a strong contributor offensively. He is hitting .232 with a .283 slugging percentage and just two home runs and 22 RBIs in 74 games.

Best acquisition: Ferguson. For one year and $3 million, Feguson has been a strong signing as he limits hard contact by opposing hitters. He has a 2.91 ERA and will likely be traded in July.

Jake Oswalt is a copy editor for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @TheWizOfOz11.