Pirates Have Real Shot At Winning NL Central

All of a sudden, the national media is all in on the Pittsburgh Pirates. ESPN dropped their bold predictions article ahead of the 2026 season, and there were quite a few insiders who are extremely high on this team.

ESPN's Tristan Cockcroft not only believes Konnor Griffin will win the 2026 NL Rookie of the Year, but he's also a firm believer the NL Central is wide open and it's the Pirates division to lose.

Last year, three teams from the NL Central made it to the playoffs. The Cincinnati Reds were bounced in the Wild Card by the eventual World Series Champion, Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs met in a thrilling five-game series that decided who would play the Dodgers in the NLCS. While the Brewers were swept in the following round, they still got over the hump and won their first playoff series in years. There's no guarantee either of those teams make the NLDS again, so the NL Central truly is up for grabs.

Cockcroft Believes Pittsburgh Can Win The Division

May 28, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly signals to the bullpen as he pulls pitcher Paul Skenes from the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the seventh inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While Cockcroft's bold prediction is more focused on Griffin winning Rookie of the Year, he doesn't shy away from the fact this is the Pirates year to take home a division title, "With the NL Central wide open in my estimation, an early Pirates surge gives them the momentum to advance to October."

Early indications are this division will likely run through Chicago. The Cubs, led by Craig Counsell, should be able to punch their ticket to the postseason once again. There's little to no faith in the St. Louis Cardinals or Cincinnati Reds, so the Pirates could fill that Wild Card spot or even overtake the Brewers in a division they've had a stronghold on for years.

Pirates Must Take Things One Day At A Time

Pirates Bryan Reynold — Sep 5, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Bryan Reynolds (10) high-fives in the dugout after scoring a run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

While it's great to set goals and shoot for the stars, the Pirates need to be realistic. Making the playoffs, in any capacity, would be a win. It doesn't matter if they are third place in the NL Central and get swept in the best-of-three series, that would still be a massive improvement from where they were in past years.

On the other side of that, there's real reason to believe Pittsburgh has what it takes to make some noise this season. Paul Skenes is still on this team, and they've added a bunch of quality bats to an offense that desperately needed it. While they weren't able to land a Kyle Schwarber or Josh Naylor, the likes of Ryan O'Hearn, Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum, Jhostynxon Garcia, and even Griffin will greatly impact this squad.

Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!