Pirates Biggest Remaining Need This Season
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have been successful for the most part this season, but there's always room for improvement on any team.
The Pirates sit 29-27 after 56 games, which is surprisingly last in the National League Central Division, which has all five teams above .500, but is only one game out of an NL Wild Card spot.
Much of their success has come offensively, where they rank in the top 10 and even the the top five in many statistical categories, a massive change from 2025, where they were one of the worst hitting teams in baseball.
One big area the Pirates must get better at is their bullpen and will serve as a main area of concern as the season goes on.
What's Been Wrong With the Pirates Bullpen
The Pirates bullpen has struggled in May and their most recent game vs. the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on May 27 showed that.
Pittsburgh had the game tied at 4-4 in the top of the seventh inning, before they bullpen allowed six runs, five earned, which included a three-run home run to Cubs left fielder Ian Happ and then a two-run home run to pinch-hitter Michael Conforto.
It was another game where the bullpen blew a chance for the Pirates to really get after it late and try to get the victory, but that's been a problem all season.
The Pirates' bullpen has posted a 4.82 ERA in May (42 earned runs, 78.2 innings pitched), and have blown 12 saves, the third-most in MLB behind the Detroit Tigers with 13 blown saves and the Washington Nationals with 14 blown saves.
Pittsburgh simply just hasn't had reliable arms for the most part and players have faltered in important moments with four games in particular this month they've really thrown away leads and taken disappointing defeats.
It's a tough situation for Pirates manager Don Kelly, who needs more reliable relief pitchers in a season where there are serious playoff aspirations.
"Yeah, we've got a lot of tough decisions to make here coming up," Kelly said postgame. "We're gonna sit down and beat it up a little bit more to come to a final answer, but we're taking everything into account, including tonight.
What Can the Pirates Do to Bolster Their Bullpen?
The Pirates have a few struggling arms, particularly in middle relief, that simply haven't performed up to par.
Pirates Bullpen ERA 2026
Pitcher | ERA | Games Pitched (IP) |
|---|---|---|
Justin Lawrence | 5.32 | 23 (22.0 IP) |
Dennis Santana | 4.94 | 25 (23.2 IP) |
Yohan Ramírez | 4.75 | 24 (30.1 IP) |
Isaac Mattson | 4.12 | 21 (19.2 IP) |
Mason Montgomery | 3.48 | 21 (20.2 IP) |
Gregory Soto | 2.13 | 25 (25.1 IP) |
Evan Sisk | 1.57 | 19 (23.0 IP) |
The pitchers that have struggled against the Cubs are ones that have done so for most of the season in right-handers Yohan Ramírez (4.75 ERA), who gave up the home run to Happ, and Justin Lawrence (5.23 ERA), who gave up the home run to Conforto on his first pitch.
Dennis Santana also pitched in the ninth inning and has struggled this campaign, with a 4.94 ERA and simply not having the same stuff he had last season, when he was the Pirates best reliever.
Isaac Mattson is also down with Triple-A Indianapolis and will look to find the form he had in 2025 and even earlier on in 2026, when he threw 15 consecutive scoreless outings.
The Pirates really need a right-handed middle relief pitcher, or really just any middle reliever that can take on some innings and pitch effectively.
Pittsburgh recently called up rookies in right-hander Brandan Bidois and Wilber Dotel, both of whom have excelled in different roles. Bidois is more of a set-up, one inning pitcher, while Dotel is a natural starter, but works best in bulk relief outings.
The Pirates also have three strong left-handed options in closer Gregory Soto, Mason Montgomery and rookie Evan Sisk.
Pittsburgh really can't make a ton of moves at this point of the season, more than two months away from the trade deadline, and reliant on taking a flyer on a waiver pickup at best.
The Pirates really need their struggling pitchers to improve, or find other pitchers down in the minor leagues to try and fix their problems on that front.
Pittsburgh, especially if they're competitive by Aug. 3, will make some important moves for their bullpen, but they'll practice patience in the mean time and look for someone to step up and take on the challenge.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
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.