The Pittsburgh Pirates have been on a roll lately, winning three straight series and seven of their last eight games heading into Wednesday’s series finale against the San Francisco Giants.
The Pirates’ pitching has been incredible, allowing just 13 runs and pitching three shutouts during that span. Their offense has stepped up, too, averaging a respectable 4.25 runs per game.
Somewhat surprisingly, Tommy Pham has been one of Pittsburgh’s best hitters recently, turning his season around after a slow start.
Pham, who signed a one-year, $4.03 million contract with the Pirates last offseason, struggled out of the gates with his new team. Through June 19, he was batting .194/.278/.219 with only four extra-base hits (no homers), nine RBI and 47 strikeouts in 51 games.
Since changing his contact prescription, however, the 37-year-old outfielder has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball. Over his last 26 games, he’s slashing .411/.455/.656 with 13 extra-base hits and 20 RBI.
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Pham’s had some good seasons in the past, but this might be the best stretch of his career. He’s hit safely in 22 of his last 25 games with a plate appearance, notching multiple hits 11 times. He’s currently on a nine-game hitting streak with multiple hits in each of his last three games.
Thanks to his remarkable hot streak, Pham’s batting average and on-base percentage now are up to .273 and .342, respectively — his highest marks since 2019. After a down 2024 and sluggish first half of 2025, he once again looks like the dynamic hitter who compiled an .845 OPS (127 OPS+) from 2015 to 2019.
Along with Andrew McCutchen, the 12-year veteran has also provided leadership to a young team that’s had its share of ups and downs this season. He’s making a difference on the field and off, and Pittsburgh’s thriving because of it.
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Featured image via Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images