Pirates See Major Shift In Playoff Odds

In the span of a few months, the Pittsburgh Pirates have seen their playoff odds increase by nearly 10%.

Back in December, their odds were just 8.7%. In Bradford Doolittle's latest update for ESPN, they now have an 18.3% chance to make the playoffs.

Keep in mind, their percentage grew more than what it was at just last month. Pittsburgh has been one of the most active teams this offseason, and clearly it's paying off.

While nothing will be determined until we see this team out on the field, this is a terrific start and it's great to see everyone so high on a team that has struggled to get anything going for what feels like an eternity.

Doolittle On Pirates Improvements

Sep 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (8) points after he hits a two run home run during the second inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

"Look, Bucs fans, things are trending in the right direction. The Pirates have been staunchly in the add category this winter, infusing the lineup with Ryan O'Hearn, Brandon Lowe and Jhostynxon "The Password" Garcia," he said.

Doolittle noted Pittsburgh tends to rank 26th or lower in payroll, but this year they're currently at No. 24. That breaks an eight year curse, and while it doesn't seem like much, that's still a huge improvement.

He continued, "The Paul Skenes-led rotation you keep hearing about indeed looks great on paper, ranking fifth in projected context-neutral ERA, with the game's youngest group of starters. The bullpen is middle of the pack but the Pirates' strength during the bad seasons has been finding and making quality relievers."

"With the additions, the offense is better, but it's not there yet," Doolittle added. "The biggest need is for a power bat, a need shared by a number of teams as you've read by now. It's tricky to make it work from a positional standpoint, but from a pure offensive perspective, Ozuna would be perfect."

Pirates Still Have Moves To Make

Oct 19, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez (28) throws to first for an out agaist Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Andres Gimenez (not pictured) in the fourth inning during game six of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

This team has recently been linked to a starting pitcher like Zack Littell or outfielder Harrison Bader, but it's unknown which area they will improve down the stretch.

There isn't a huge need for starting pitching, but one can never have too many arms in the rotation. The Pirates attention should be adding another infielder as everyone awaits Konnor Griffin and his eventual rise to the big league roster. The name Eugenio Suarez has been floated around quite a bit, and there's no doubt that would be the cherry on top of their stellar offseason.

On paper, their offense has already improved significantly. Whether that translates to the field or not remains to be seen, but Pittsburgh entering the New Year with nearly a one in five shot to make the playoffs is about all Pirates fans could ask for.

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