There's a Ranking for How Fun Pirates Are to Watch
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the most exciting teams to watch in the early part of the MLB season. After dropping their first two contests, they’ve won six of their next eight to go 6-4 in their first 10 contests.
It hasn’t been perfect, but it’s’ been an effective start for the Pirates as they try to reestablish themselves in the National League.
If the ESPN’s latest MLB watchability index rankings are any indication, the rest of the league is keen to watch this take place. After a tough start in the first few games, the Pirates have rebounded and currently rank 13th in the rankings thanks to an infusion of young star power.
“The Pirates make a big leap from No. 26. Thank you, Konnor Griffin, who just made his MLB debut as a teenage position player, the first since Juan Soto in 2018,” David Schoenfield writes for ESPN. “Bubba Chandler helps boost the young talent score alongside Griffin, giving the Pirates a dynamic rookie duo. The star power is entirely dependent on Paul Skenes who has had a curious lack of swing-and-miss stuff in his first two starts, as there isn't really another player close to the top 100.”
Good or Bad, These Pirates are Fun?
As Schoenfield notes, this Pirates ball club is intriguing. The jury is still out whether they are going to be a true playoff team, more than that or languishing away in the NL Central once again. It’s all still up in the air for the Pirates.
But watching the journey is exciting in 2026, something that wasn’t always the case for the Buccos.
Even the struggles are entertaining and come with some upside. Watching Chandler and Griffin work through their rookie seasons is incredible. A future All-Star on the mound and in the field, the ups-and-downs of adjusting to the MLB level are worth the frustrations that inevitably pop up along the way.
Defensive Lapses That Catch the Eye
The defense hasn’t been great for the Pirates.
The biggest culprit and focus is centerfielder Oneil Cruz, who has had a struggling start to the year in the outfield.
The tradeoff is that his work at the plate has been the opposite of his play in the field. He’s crushed left-handed pitching and leads the team in home runs. He’s shown a huge improvement at the dish, and if he can limit the unforced errors, he could be a serviceable defensive player. Until then, he’s a liability that’s fun as hell.
“Then there's Cruz,” Schoenfield wrote. “Always entertaining but not always helping the Pirates win.”
That’s the Pirates in a nutshell right now. They are always entertaining, even if they aren’t winning.
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.