Surprising Pirates Trending In Right Direction After Breakout Campaign

The Pittsburgh Pirates are trending in the right direction heading into the 2025 Major League Baseball season.

The Pirates finished this season 76-86, the same record they had last season. The emergence of Paul Skenes and improved play of the starting rotation was a bright spot for the team. A full season with Skenes and Jared Jones will give Pittsburgh one of the best young starting rotations in the league.

The Pirates have jumped up a few spots in the power rankings since the end of the regular season, climbing from No. 24 to No. 20, according to ESPN’s David Schoenfield, who ranked the 30 teams heading into the 2025 MLB season.

“Paul Skenes will enter 2025 as the likely Cy Young favorite in the National League following his absurdly good rookie season,” Schoenfield wrote. “Jared Jones also flashed top-of-the-rotation potential, especially in the first half. Top prospect Bubba Chandler could make a similar impact in the rotation for 2025 and Nick Yorke, acquired from the Red Sox, should help out somewhere, whether at second base or in a utility role.”

“The late-season decision to move Oneil Cruz from shortstop to center field makes sense, although it solves one hole while opening another. The Pirates need to figure out what happened to Ke’Bryan Hayes at the plate (.573 OPS) and how to upgrade the bullpen after David Bednar’s collapse. As always, tightfisted ownership will make it difficult for the Pirates to improve.”

There is optimism that Pittsburgh will improve their play this upcoming season with their young starting rotation leading the team. Once they figure things out behind the plate a little more, the Pirates’ playoff chances will continue to rise.

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