Five Highest-Attended 2025 Pirates Games at PNC Park
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates completed their 2025 season with one of the lowest home attendance records in the MLB, but still had some strong showings from fans at PNC Park.
The Pirates had the fifth lowest attendance in the MLB this season, only having a higher average attendance than the Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins, plus both the Tampa Bay Rays and Athletics, with the latter two playing in minor league ball parks this season.
Pittsburgh still had three sellouts and eight games with at least 30,000 paid attendance in 2025. They also had a 44-37 record at home, including 37-25 under manager Don Kelly took over on May 8, marking the ninth best home record during that time.
Pirates fans descended upon PNC Park for its 25th season since it opened in 2001 and while the team didn't come anywhere close to making the postseason, the fans did their part when they could.
5. Pirates vs. Texas Rangers-31,327
The Pirates hosted one of their six Zambelli fireworks nights for the series opener against the Texas Rangers on June 20.
Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz had one of the worst moments of his season, as he missed a single hit to him in the top of the first inning from Rangers left fielder Sam Haggerty, with the ball bouncing off his glove and going behind him.
Cruz watched the ball go back to the wall, with right fielder Adam Frazier having to go back and pick up the ball and throw it to the cut off man, making it. 1-0 game.
He apologized for the mistake after the game and Kelly defended Cruz after the mistake, keeping him in the rest of the contest of the game.
The Rangers went on and won the game, 6-2, scoring four runs off of Pirates rookie right-handed starting pitcher Mike Burrows and another run off of fellow Pirates rookie right-handed pitcher Braxton Ashcraft.
4. Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies-32,951
The Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies faced off for the second game of a weekend series on June 7, with a large traveling Phillies crowd in attendance for this one.
Both teams scored a run in the first inning, before both offenses struggled for most of the rest of the game, with left-handed starting pitchers Andrew Heaney of the Pirates and Ranger Suárez of the Philadelphia Phillies keeping it a 1-1 game through six innings.
Catcher Henry Davis hit a crucial solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, putting the Pirates up 2-1.
Heaney would leave the game early in the seventh inning with an injury, which turned out as a minor problem.
The Pirates relied on three right-handed pitchers in their bullpen, with Isaac Mattson throwing a scoreless seventh inning, Dennis Santana got the hold in the eighth inning and David Bednar getting the save in the 2-1 win.
Pittsburgh would sweep Philadelphia that weekend, sending the road crowd disappointed and the home fans happy for one of the best attended games of the season.
3. Pirates vs. New York Yankees-36,893 (Home Opener)
The Pirates came into their home opener vs. the New York Yankees on April 4 with a 2-5 record, including three losses to the Miami Marlins in the first series at loanDepot Park, all coming on walk-offs.
Pirates fans were frustrated with the team's performance, which came after a late season collapse in 2024, with an 8-19 record in August after having an above .500 record at the trade deadline.
Fans booed manager Derek Shelton when he was announced during their starting lineup, but put most of their ire towards owner Bob Nutting.
This included the "Our Team, Not His" fan group flying a plane with a message demanding Nutting sell the team, a fan accosting Nutting on the left field rotunda and general "Sell the Team" chants throughout the game.
The Pirates put on a poor display for the home fans, as right-handed starting pticher Mitch Keller gave up seven earned runs through 3.2 innings pitched in the 9-4 loss.
2. Pirates vs. Cleveland Guardians-37,713 (Paul Skenes Bobblehead Day)
The Pirates had their second-highest attendance of the season, thanks to their release of the first Paul Skenes bobblehead, honoring his 2024 National League Rookie of the Year Award.
Fans lined up hours early ahead of the 4:05 p.m. first pitch against the Cleveland Guardians on April 19, stretching over the Roberto Clemente Bridge and throughout the North Shore.
The Pirates originally had only 20,000 bobbleheads available, but eventually announced they would honor every fan that scanned their ticket for the game and hand them a bobblhead at a different date.
Skenes started in this game vs. the Guardians and had a solid outing, giving up two earned runs, but pitching seven innings and posting four strikeouts over 103 pitches.
The Pirates offense wasted Skenes' outing in the eventual 3-0 defeat, with more "Sell the Team" chants ringing throughout PNC Park.
1. Pirates vs. Chicago White Sox-July 19 (Mac Miller Bobblehead Day)
The largest crowd for a Pirates game this season at PNC Park came on another bobblehead giveaway, as the team honored local rapper Mac Miller, who died in 2018, with his own signature bobblehead.
This contest had a paid attendance of 38,041 with fans again lining up hours early for a shot at one of the 20,000 bobbleheads on July 19.
Pittsburgh opened up with a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning and led 4-2 after five innings, but then the bullpen struggled massively, with left-handed pitcher Caleb Ferguson and Mattson giving up a combined six runs in the top of the sixth inning., as Chicago took an 8-4 lead and went on to win 10-4.
Pirates fans again showed their frustration, demanding Nutting sell the team later on in the game.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.