Heading into this season, the Pittsburgh Pirates were hoping to improve on a disappointing 2024 campaign where they went 76-86 and finished last in the NL Central. With Paul Skenes set for his first full season, that certainly seemed possible.
Skenes held up to his end of the bargain. The 2024 NL Rookie of the Year was even better in 2025, leading MLB in ERA (2.03), FIP (2.42) and pitching WAR (7.3) entering play on Tuesday. He’ll likely win NL Cy Young honors as a result.
Unfortunately, however, his teammates didn’t take the same step forward. They regressed slightly, losing more games (89 and counting) than the year before.
After seven straight losing seasons and 10 years without a playoff appearance, the Pirates need to find a way to get back on track this offseason. If they don’t, Skenes believes 2025 will be “a wasted year.”
“This is a wasted year if we don’t learn what we need to do and we don’t know why we didn’t go out there and do what we wanted to do,” Skenes recently told reporters. “If those things happen, it’s a wasted year in my opinion.”
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Fortunately, the 23-year-old ace is optimistic about the future and believes Pittsburgh will do what it takes to get better next season.
“I think we — individually, as a team and as an organization — know the adjustments that we need to make, so now we just gotta do them,” Skenes added.
Many of those adjustments are at the plate, where the Pirates have struggled all season. They rank last in MLB in runs per game (3.60), home runs (112) and OPS (.655).
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If Pittsburgh can improve offensively, it has the pitching to contend in 2026 and beyond.
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Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images