Soaring Pirates Closing in on Top 10 in MLB Power Rankings
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have played great baseball throughout 2026 and people across the sport are taking notice.
The Pirates moved up two spots in the latest power rankings from The Athletic, going up to No. 11 from No. 13, just one spot outside of the top 10 just three weeks into the season.
It's not surprising to see the Pirates so high up, as they're 10-6 so far, tied for the second-most wins in baseball and on top of the National League Central Division.
The Pirates are coming off of a 2025 campaign where they finished with the fifth-worst record in baseball and last in the NL Central, but have completely turned things around to start this season, which is due to work in the offseason internally and externally.
Pirates Offense Dominating in 2026
The Pirates had a great pitching staff last season, which led baseball with 19 shutouts, but were terrible from the plate and the worst hitting team in MLB in most categories.
Pirates Hitting Rankings in MLB
Stat (Total) | MLB Ranking |
|---|---|
On-Base Percentage (.342) | Fourth |
Hits (137) | Sixth |
RBI (79) | Tied-Sixth |
Runs Scored (82) | Seventh |
Batting Average (.250) | Seventh |
OPS (.734) | Seventh |
Walks (70) | Eighth |
Slugging Percentage (.392) | Eighth |
Home Runs (18) | Ninth |
General manager Ben Cherington and the front office went out and added via the trade market and in free agency to make their lineup better, which have made for one of the better hitting teams in baseball.
Trading for second baseman Brandon Lowe and signing free agent Ryan O'Hearn gave the Pirates power and veteran bats that they desperately needed
Lowe leads the Pirates with six home runs, while O'Hearn has slashed .321/.403/.536 for an OPS of .939, playing both in right field and at first base.
The Pirates have also gotten great production from players that have needed bounceback seasons in center fielder Oneil Cruz and left fielder Bryan Reynolds.
Cruz has an MLB-long 12-game hitting streak, the longest of his career, and has the best slash-line on the Pirates, .355/.429/.645 for an OPS of 1.074, with 22 hits, three doubles, five home runs, 16 RBI and seven stolen bases.
He has also greatly improved against left-handed pitchers, going from just a .102 batting average in 2025 to a .471/.526/1.000 slash line for an OPS of 1.526 with three home runs.
Reynolds has slashed .290/.375./484 for an OPS of .859, with three home runs and 12 RBI, after hitting below .200 at this point last season.
The Pirates also locked up top prospect Konnor Griffin to a record nine-year, $140 million contract, who will serve as their shortstop for the long-term and will eventually bring great power and a top bat overall.
Pitching Staff Continues Dominating for Pirates
The Pirates ultimately need their pitching staff to perform at the best of their abilities if they are going to make it to the postseason.
Pittsburgh has had general success with their pitcher so far, particularly from the starting rotation, but the overall staff has been dominant in different ways.
Stat (Total) | MLB Ranking |
|---|---|
Batting Average Allowed (BAA) (.223) | Fourth |
ERA (3.34) | Fifth |
Strikeouts (156) | Tied-Fifth |
K/9 (9.66) | Seventh |
Pittsburgh has gotten great showings from their starting rotation, featuring Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, veteran Mitch Keller, rookies in Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler, plus reliever-turned-starter Carmen Mlodzinski.
Skenes, surprisingly, has the highest ERA of the staff at 4.00, thanks to giving up five runs vs. the New York Mets on Opening Day in less than an inning, but has posted a 1.56 ERA in his past three starts.
Keller has been excellent at just a 1.00 ERA and three quality starts, Ashcraft is showing he's no rookie on the mound, Chandler has some of the best pitches on the team and Mlodzinski has worked out of some jams and kept the Pirates in good shape in his second try in the rotation.
The Pirates have had issues with their bullpen, who have issued too many walks and struggled at times in 2026, but there's reason that they can turn it around as well.
Pittsburgh has an excellent set-up/closer combo in left-hander Gregory Soto and Dennis Santana, who have a 1.04 ERA and 1.13 ERA, respectively.
Right-hander Yohan Ramírez is the biggest surprise out of the bullpen with a 1.86 ERA, fellow right-hander Isaac Mattson is back to his great form from last year at a 2.08 ERA and left-hander Mason Montgomery regularly throws a 100 mph fastball.
The Pirates will also get a boost from right-hander Jared Jones returning towards the end of May, early June from season-ending surgery last season too.
If Pittsburgh can keep up their great hitting and get better outings from their bullpen, then they should continue pushing for a spot in the postseason for the first time in a decade.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.