Pirates Primed to Improve in 2025
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Pessimism has run rampant among the Pittsburgh Pirates' fan base essentially since the dawn of time, but that everlasting period of doom and gloom may finally be coming to an end.
MLB.com listed the Pirates as one of seven teams who are in position to improve upon their 2024 record by at 10 games. They finished 76-86 last season, so meeting that criteria would result in both the franchise's first winning season since 2018 as well as their best win-loss total since they last reached the playoffs in 2015.
David Adler wrote Pittsburgh's portion of the article, highlighting the club's one-two punch of Paul Skenes and Jared Jones in the rotation in addition to the potential of a breakout campaign for Oneil Cruz when answering why they'll improve.
"A full season of Paul Skenes and Jared Jones," Adler wrote. "The Pirates have one of the most talented 1-2 punches of any starting rotation. The upside is incredible. Skenes and Jones could mow down hitters in the NL Central all year, and that will be the foundation of Pittsburgh's success in 2025. Then, the Pirates just need Oneil Cruz to make the leap. Cruz has all the tools to be this year's version of Elly De La Cruz. If Cruz can put together a healthy season and reach his ceiling, he could be the breakout power-speed star of 2025. The NL Central looks wide open, and the Pirates have the kind of young rising stars who could seize it."
There isn't much that hasn't already been said about Skenes' excellence. As a rookie last year, he established himself as one of baseball's premier pitchers with a sterling 1.96 ERA in 133 innings, netting him the National League Rookie of the Year Award alongside a third-place NL Cy Young Award finish and a starting nod at the All-Star Game, among other accolades.
Jones was dominant in the early goings of his own freshman season, though a lat strain sidelined him for nearly two months and briefly curtailed his development. The 23-year-old ultimately finished with a 4.14 ERA, which cloaks just how well he performed.
In the first full year of his major league career, Cruz concluded 2024 with a slash line of .259/.324/.449 while mashing 21 home runs and stealing 22 bases in 146 games.
The 26-year-old certainly could take that next step towards becoming a star, though he'll have to do so while continuing his transition to center field full-time.
Adler's main concern as it pertains to the Pirates failing to reach their ceiling is a lack of depth, particularly when compared to their NL Central counterparts. While that's a valid concern, it's one that Pittsburgh hopes is remedied by the talent coming up through their minor league system, particularly with pitchers such as Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft and Thomas Harrington.
Cruz, Bryan Reynolds and Spencer Horwitz will have to do a lot of the heavy lifting offensively, but if the team can score runs on a consistent basis while the bullpen also rounds into form, there's no reason Pittsburgh couldn't snap its postseason drought in the fall.
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- Former GM Believes Pirates' Top Prospect Has 'Enormous Ceiling'
- Four Pirates Among MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects
- Pirates Stand Pat In Power Rankings Amidst Frustrating Offseason
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.