The Pittsburgh Pirates have struggled to build a winner lately. They haven’t had a winning season since 2018 and haven’t made the playoffs since 2015.
That could be about to change, however, after the Pirates’ best offseason in years. They added a bunch of veteran talent to their emerging young core, assembling a roster that appears capable of contending in 2026.
Many analysts are high on Pittsburgh this year. On Monday, MLB Network boldly predicted that the Pirates will end their postseason drought and make the playoffs this fall.
“This team is gonna get to the playoffs. They’re gonna make a postseason push,” declared MLB Tonight. “Why? With that starting pitching, you can’t hold this team back. I want to see Paul Skenes making a playoff start…Pirates: Wild Card.”
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There are plenty of reasons for optimism in Pittsburgh this year. For starters, the Pirates had one of the best pitching staffs in baseball last year, ranking seventh in team ERA. With Bubba Chandler and Jared Jones in the mix, they could be even better on the mound this season.
Even if they’re not, they’ll surely be better at the plate. Pittsburgh’s offense is much improved after adding Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn, Marcell Ozuna and Jhostynxon Garcia. MLB’s top prospect Konnor Griffin is also waiting in the wings and should debut at some point this season, perhaps as soon as Opening Day.
In a winnable NL Central, the Pirates have enough talent to win at least 80-85 games and compete for a Wild Card spot. They may not be championship-caliber just yet, but a postseason berth is certainly in play.
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