Pirates Nearing Bottom of MLB Power Rankings
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The Pittsburgh Pirates have been taken down exactly one peg by Will Leitch of MLB.com.
In Leitch's recently released power rankings, the Pirates have dipped from last week's No. 27 spot to the No. 28 spot after back-to-back losses against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Despite the poor grade, Leitch writes fondly of pitcher Paul Skenes dominance on the mound lately, saying, "The first time Paul Skenes pitched at Dodger Stadium, last August, he gave up four runs, the worst start of his 2024 season. So the California native was pretty excited to return on Friday, in front of family, friends and a whole bunch of frustrated Dodgers fans. He was the best he’d been all year, going 6 1/3 innings, striking out nine and giving up no runs and five hits. Again: Against the Dodgers."
He included a quote from Skenes on that game, "I was playing for free tonight. It was fun. I'll go up there and see them here in a minute. Today, actually, was kind of a family get-together. It was all my mom's brothers, my dad's brother and their families are all here, which is cool. It hasn't happened for a while, so cool to be able to share that with them.”
Rob Friedman posted this compilation of Skenes' strikeouts against the Dodgers on X:
An Overlay of all 9 of Paul Skenes' Strikeouts vs. the Dodgers.
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 26, 2025
4 Fastballs
1 Sinker
1 Sweeper
1 Curveball
1 Changeup
1 Splinker pic.twitter.com/uq0G4Emv1q
Of the 30 teams listed in these power rankings, only the Chicago White Sox and the Colorado Rockies came in lower than the Pirates.
The Pirates have struggled both on and off the field this season, with mounting injuries among the players and fans responding rather negatively to the team's ownership. Still, with players like Skenes and beloved sniper DH Andrew McCutchen, they've been a fun team to watch so far this season.
The Pirates will play the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, April 29 at 6:40 pm.
-4431d2aa5cde5e25ad8e226a03890ec7.png "Erin Shapland")
Erin covers the Pittsburgh Pirates for On SI, reporting on all aspects of a franchise searching for lasting success. A fan of all storylines, who's looking to bring the latest news and updates to one of professional sports' greatest fanbases.