If the A's and Pirates Combined Rosters, They'd Dominate Baseball

The A's bats combined with the arms of the Pirates would form one scary club

Sep 10, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) looks on during the first inning against Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates are set to square off this weekend, and one thought has been inescapable of late is how it would look if these two teams combined rosters. They may be the best team in all of baseball. We're not talking about just taking Aaron Judge and placing him on the Los Angeles Dodgers, or some simple move like that.

Instead, if you were to take the A's offense with Pittsburgh's pitching staff, this club would be in the upper echelon of the league at the very least.

Heading into play this weekend, the A's have scored 705 runs, which ranks them No. 12 in baseball. They also are the only team in baseball with three players that have been on their roster all season that have racked up 30 home runs.

Aug 26, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5), left, celebrates with first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) at home plate after hitting a three run home run during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

That type of run scoring is unheard of for the Pirates, who rank last in runs scored with 545, nearly 30 shy of the Colorado Rockies in 29th place. Still, the Pirates have managed to go 65-88, avoiding a Rockies or White Sox type year, thanks to their pitching staff.

Pittsburgh's pitching, like the A's offense, ranks No. 12 in ERA with a 3.87, which is right behind the Philadelphia Phillies (3.86) and less than a half-run from the best in baseball. The A's, thanks to a rough start to the season, rank 27th in baseball with a 4.72 ERA on the year.

Since the All Star break, the A's have the No. 5 offense in the game, holding a 117 wRC+, while their cumulative pitching has also been in that same realm, posting a 3.87 ERA funnily enough, which ranks No. 8. That's a big reason why the A's have gone 31-24 since the break and have been one of baseball's best teams in that stretch.

But if the A's had the Pirates pitching staff for the full year, they would certainly have a higher win total than the 72 they have now, and the same goes for the Pirates and if they had a trio of sluggers like Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers, and Nick Kurtz leading the way on offense.

Sep 2, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Bubba Chandler (57) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

If you take the A's 705 runs scored, and subtract the 626 that the Pirates have allowed, that combined club would have a +79 run differential, which would place them second in the NL West to the Dodgers (+123), well ahead of the New York Mets (+53), and in the same territory as division leaders Detroit (+87) and Toronto (+83).

This club would easily be in postseason contention, and with Paul Skenes heading up the rotation and Kurtz ready to do damage in the lineup, this would be one scary bunch to have to face in October.

With this being the case, one would expect this weekend's series to be a battle of the A's bats against the Pirates' pitching, but as we mentioned earlier, the A's ERA in the second half has been a whole lot better, which should give them a significant edge in this series. They also won't have to face Skenes, which is a definite plus.

The A's will be sending out Luis Severino (6-11, 4.82 ERA) on Friday, followed by Luis Morales (4-1, 3.08) on Saturday. Sunday's starter, as well as all three of Pittsburgh's probables have yet to be announced.