Pirates Are MLB's Road Warriors of 2026
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates normally aren't a team that performs well outside of PNC Park, but they've been doing just that this year.
The Pirates are coming off of a big road series win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, May 5-7, as they bounced back from a 9-0 defeat to start the series and won the second game 1-0 and then the third game 4-2 to take it.
Pittsburgh now improves to 10-8 away from home in 2026, with their .556 winning percentage good for eighth-best amongst MLB teams.
It's a good mark for the Pirates, who have ambitions of finally ending their decade-long postseason drought.
Where the Pirates Have Gotten Their Road Wins
The Pirates have won four of their six road series this season, but they've done incredibly well against their main rivals in the National League Central Division.
Pittsburgh has three road series victories over the NL Central, taking two out of three games against the Cincinnati Reds, March 30-April 1 at Great American Ball Park, the Chicago Cubs, April 10-12 at Wrigley Field, and the Milwaukee Brewers, April 24-26 at American Family Field.
The Pirates have only lost road series to the New York Mets, March 26, March 28-29 at Citi Field and vs. the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field, April 21-23, but still took one of three games from both to avoid the sweep.
Pittsburgh probably should've had two more road wins, particularly in the 7-6 loss to the Cubs in the series finale on April 12, where they led by scores of 5-0 and 6-2, but ended up falling. The other win was vs. the Mets on March 28, where they led twice in extra innings before falling 4-2.
Even with those two disappointing defeats, the Pirates are in a great spot when it comes to their road play this season.
How Pirates Are Bucking Poor Trend From 2025
The Pirates finished with a 27-54 record on the road in 2025, tied for the second-worst road record in baseball with the Chicago White Sox.
Pittsburgh has reversed that trend for a few reasons, but they mostly just have a better team now than they did last season.
The Pirates lineup is greatly improved with the likes of second baseman Brandon Lowe and right fielder Ryan O'Hearn joining on this offseason, while returners like center fielder Oneil Cruz, left fielder Bryan Reynolds, first baseman Spencer Horwitz and infielder Nick Gonzales have all produced at the plate.
An improved lineup has resulted in players having big moments, like Cruz's three-run home run off the left field foul pole in the 8-4 win over the Rangers on April 22, Lowe hitting two home runs vs. the Diamondbacks, Gonzales having some clutch moments vs. the Brewers and Reynolds and Cruz both showing off their power vs. the Reds.
The Pirates also have an excellent pitching staff, who have played big roles away from home.
Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller delivered great starts vs. the Diamondbacks, Yohan Ramírez helped the Pirates get a big extra-innings win over the Cubs on April 11, while Gregory Soto and Dennis Santana have had some big outings as well out of the bullpen.
The Pirates still have a long ways to go before the end of the season, but if they keep playing like this on the road, they'll get a big number of victories that will help them in their quest for the postseason.
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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.