3 Things Pirates Need to Fix Before Next Season
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Barring a miracle turn of events, the Pittsburgh Pirates' postseason drought will extend to 11 years.
The Pirates had plenty of hope to make it back to October earlier in the summer, and the club was rather aggressive buyers at the trade deadline, bringing in four right-handed relievers to help supplement a struggling bullpen.
As they sit at 68-71 and five games back of the final Wild Card spot in the National League, however, the season is all but over for Pittsburgh.
With their attention now turned towards the 2027 campaign, here are three things the Pirates must fix in the offseason.
Hitting vs. Left-Handed Pitching
The Pirates' offense is one of the more productive groups across the league this season, having scored the fourth-most runs (682).
Against left-handed pitching, however, they've struggled to a major degree. Pittsburgh's slash line on the year against southpaws currently sits at .240/.308/.374, and the club's collective wRC+ of 86 is the fourth-worst mark in MLB.
Key pieces of the lineup such as Brandon Lowe (.210/.257/.347), Nick Gonzales (.261/.325/.314) and Ryan O'Hearn (.223/.273/.357) are among the biggest culprits in that regard, which is partially to be expected considering Lowe and O'Hearn hit from the left side.
Regardless, the Pirates have to be conscious of their shortcomings against left-handers and make the necessary moves to mitigate those issues once the offseason arrives.
Get More Out of the Starting Rotation
Pittsburgh's rotation hasn't been an eyesore, but the organization certainly expected more out of the unit this season.
The Pirates' starting pitchers have logged a 4.34 ERA, which is the 12th-worst mark in the league, while throwing the 10th-fewest number of innings at 690 2/3.
Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes has been a disappointment relative to expectations with a 3.97 ERA over 149 2/3 frames, and Mitch Keller posted a 5.29 ERA across 115 2/3 innings before suffering a season-ending teres major muscle injury.
Bubba Chandler's rookie year has been up and down with a 4.30 ERA in 125 2/3 innings, and Jared Jones is sporting a 4.83 ERA over 72 2/3 frames in his return from Tommy John surgery.
Pittsburgh simply needs more production out of its starters. Whether it's shuffling the deck or bringing in a high-end arm this offseason, the club has to ensure that its rotation is a clear strength moving forward.
Defense Needs an Overhaul
Upgrading the defense across the board would be of huge assistance to the Pirates' pitching staff.
In 2026, the team has recorded the fifth-fewest Outs Above Average (-22) and the 12th-fewest Defensive Runs Saved (9), which is the part of the reason why there's a rather large discrepancy between their ERA (4.24) and FIP (3.89).
Whether it's Gonzales at third base (-14 DRS, -11 OAA), Oneil Cruz in center field (-6 DRS, -3 OAA), Jacob Gonzalez at shortstop (-5 DRS, -5 OAA), O'Hearn in right field (-5 DRS, -4 OAA) or Spencer Horwitz at first base (-3 DRS, -4 OAA), Pittsburgh is rostering far too many defensive liabilities.
The fact that its strongest defender in Lowe (12 DRS, 11 OAA) will be a free agent once the season ends doesn't help its cause either.
The Pirates won't get the most out of their pitching staff without a much-improved group of defenders behind them, making that a top priority this offseason.
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Jack is a New Jersey native who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh as a Media & Professional Communications major in 2024 who is now covering the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Yankees for On SI.