Pirates Trail One Team for MLB's Best Record
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates managed another impressive win over their NL Central rivals, the Chicago Cubs. The victory sealed the third series victory in five attempts to begin the 2026 campaign.
The win also brought the Pirates to a record of 9-5 through 14 games, putting them atop the NL Central and holding a half-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds.
At 9-5, the Pirates also hold the second best record in the entire MLB. They trail only the 11-3 Los Angeles Dodgers for the league-lead early into the season.
Another Gutsy Win
It hasn't been an easy or seamless stretch, but the Pirates have nine wins in 14 contests. It's already a far cry from the terrible start the team got off to in 2025. They began the year with a 12-26 record, which led to former manager Derek Shelton's dismissal and the hiring of Don Kelly.
Under Kelly, this team has taken the next step. They play with a fire and an unyielding attitude.
That was highlighted in their series-clinching victory over the Cubs. The game required extra innings and an unforced error from the Cubs gave the Pirates the go-ahead and game-winning run in the 11th inning. It doesn't matter to the battling Buccos. As Kelly put it after the game, the team will take a victory any way or form they can get one.
"That's a gutsy blue-collar win,” he said. “Coming into Chicago in that environment, to have the situation there at the end like we did and to find a way to score a run... We'll take a win any way we can get it."
Starting Pitching Standing Tall
A huge part of the the Pirates' early success is their starting pitcher. Ace Paul Skenes hit a blip on the radar in his Opening Day start, but since then the entire pitching staff has been excellent.
Their starting pitcher put them in excellent position to win once again in their most recent victory. Braxton Ashcraft put together one of the most impressive outings as a Pirate.
Over 5.0 innings pitched, Ashcraft was electric. His fastball had velocity and movement, and he knew exactly when to go to his powerful curveball as a strikeout pitch. It resulted in him striking out nine Cubs hitters and allowing one run.
That's been the standard through the early part of the season. The starter goes five innings or so, providing quality pitching before handing it over to a just as impressive bullpen to finish things out.
As long as the bats keep showing up, the Pirates are finding ways to win. It isn't always the most sophisticated victory, but it has resulted in this team having the second-best record in the MLB so far.
Jacob is a featured writer covering the Pittsburgh Steelers for Steelers On SI and the NHL for Breakaway On SI. He also co-hosts the All Steelers Talk podcast. Previous work covering the NHL for Inside the Penguins and The Hockey News.