MLB.com Names Pirates’ Goal For Second Half Of 2024 Season

The Pittsburgh Pirates return to action on Friday night with high hopes for the second half of the 2024 campaign.

Heading into the MLB All-Star Break, the Pirates racked off four straight wins to get their record to .500 at 48-48. The strong play has brought them within 6.5 games of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central and just 1.5 games of the final NL Wild Card spot.

Pittsburgh has been powered by their pitching with Paul Skenes and Jared Jones becoming a top duo in baseball. It remains to be seen what the final product will be for this squad as they make a playoff push, but it’s clear that they have a team talented enough to make their first playoffs since 2015.

MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf writes that should be the Pirates’ goal in the second half — getting “over the hump” that has been keeping them out of the postseason for almost a full decade.

“The goal all year has been to play in October, and Pittsburgh is certainly in the mix to do that,” Stumpf wrote. “A four-game winning streak helped the Pirates finish the first half of the season with a .500 record and just a game and a half out of a Wild Card. They have one of the best rotations in the game, anchored by Paul Skenes, who already looks like a Cy Young candidate. They need more offensive production, but Bryan Reynolds and Rowdy Tellez are two of the hottest hitters in the National League. If one or two more hitters can step up like that, it might be enough to sneak into the playoffs.”

Some moves may need to be made by the Pirates to get there, but that remains to be seen. The offense is performing, as Stumpf mentions, and an added punch in the lineup could do the trick. Skenes made it clear that he believes the Pirates have a “shot,” so it’s all about how the first few weeks go in the second half.

Pittsburgh kicks off its second half on Friday night when the team welcomes the Philadelphia Phillies to PNC Park. The first pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. EST.

More MLB: Pirates ‘Open’ To Bringing Back Veteran Starting Pitcher After Parting Ways