Three Pirates New Year's Resolutions
In this story:
The winter winds blow cold across the Allegheny, carrying with them the familiar scent of damp earth and deferred hope. For the faithful fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates, New Year’s Eve is less about celebration and more about a quiet, stubborn renewal of a promise: maybe this year will be different.
And as we enter January, it does feel a little different from years' past — the Pirates seem to actually be trying to compete for a playoff appearance. Their abnormally busy off-season has already seen the acquisitions of Jhostnxyon Garcia, Brandon Lowe, Ryan O'Hearn, Gregory Soto, Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery. That's six players who should be able to contribute to the big league roster on Opening Day. But they shouldn't be done yet.
As 2026 dawns on the horizon, the Pittsburgh Pirates stand at a crossroads familiar in its shape but rare in its potential. To finally end a playoff drought that has stretched for over a decade is clearly the goal. Here are three specific resolutions could guide them from promise to October.
Resolution 1: Support the Generational Arm with a Complete Lineup
The foundation is already poured, and its name is Paul Skenes. A pitcher who has already secured a Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award in subsequent seasons with a performance that has redefined dominance in the city, Skenes is not just an ace; he is a gravitational force around which an entire competitive window orbits. It is a baseball tragedy, however, to waste such a gift.
For too long, the Pirates have operated with a poverty of ambition, sprinkling limited funds across role players when the moment called for a decisive, impactful strike. The acquisitions of hitters like Lowe and O'Hearn are steps in the right direction, adding needed power and professional at-bats to a lineup that was historically anemic. But the job cannot be declared finished.
The projected lineup still shows gaps, with a concerning lack of impact from the right side of the plate and questions around third base and left field. The resolution must be to secure at least one more legitimate bat — a hitter who forces opposing managers to think twice before navigating the heart of the order.
Could that be Kazuma Okamoto? Could it be Eugenio Suarez? Could it be a surprise acquisition through a trade? It shouldn't matter. Every time Skenes takes the mound with a one-run lead is an unnecessary risk. The front office’s task is to ensure he takes the mound with a cushion worthy of his effort, transforming his starts from nail-biting spectacles into anticipated victories.
Resolution 2: Chart a Prudent, Yet Bold, Course with Konnor Griffin
The potential arrival of baseball’s top prospect, Konnor Griffin, brings a thrilling but delicate kind of pressure. The 19-year-old’s 2025 minor league campaign was a work of art, a showcase of five-tool talent that improved as he climbed each level. The temptation to rush such a prodigy to PNC Park will be immense, especially for a fanbase starved for a new superstar. The resolution here must be one of disciplined patience, coupled with decisive action.
Griffin must not be forced to the majors to sell tickets or fill a temporary hole; his development is the franchise’s most valuable long-term asset. However, rigid service-time manipulation that holds back a player who is clearly ready would be its own form of failure, a different kind of disrespect to the competitive process.
If Griffin continues to perform in the minors, demonstrating he has nothing left to prove there, the Pirates must have the courage to let him prove it on the biggest stage. This isn’t about calendars; it’s about competence. Handling Griffin correctly means insulating him from desperation but not from opportunity.
Resolution 3: Honor the Legacy and the Faithful
Perhaps the most profound resolution requires no on-field talent, only institutional integrity. In recent years, the relationship between the Pirates and their supporters has been bruised by a series of self-inflicted wounds that insult the intelligence and passion of the fanbase. The “Bucco Bricks” controversy — where fan-purchased commemorative bricks were removed and found at a recycling facility, with the team offering delayed and unclear explanations — struck at a deeply personal chord.
This followed the misstep of removing Roberto Clemente’s number from the outfield wall for an alcohol advertisement, a tone-deaf decision that required a public apology and a reversal of the action. These are not baseball decisions; they are failures of stewardship. They communicate a jarring disconnect, a sense that the sacred symbols of community and history are transactional.
The resolution for 2026 must be a solemn vow to end this pattern. It means treating the fans as partners in the journey, not as a demographic to be managed. It means understanding that Clemente’s number isn’t just a logo, and that a brick with a grandfather’s name isn’t just pavement. Winning back trust requires a consistent, transparent respect that has too often been absent. A team that asks for its city’s heart must first show it has one of its own.
The path to the 2026 playoffs is not written in the stars, but in the choices of an organization. It is paved by building a worthy lineup around Skenes, by nurturing Griffin with both care and conviction, and by finally demonstrating, through every action, that the franchise values its legacy and its fans as much as it claims to. In the celebration of this New Year’s Eve, that is the hope worth holding; that this time, the resolve will match the potential waiting under the lights at PNC Park.
Ethan Merrill is from Grand Rapids, MI, and brings with him a diverse background of experiences. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, he worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks for three seasons before settling in the Pittsburgh area in 2020. With a passion for sports and a growing connection to his community, Ethan brings a fresh perspective to covering the Pittsburgh Pirates.