Pirates Still Have Realistic Shot at Playoffs
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have gotten back to winning ways, and they must continue that as they come towards the end of the season.
The Pirates are 71-73 overall and five and a half games back in the National League Wild Card race with just 18 games left in the 2026 season.
It's a tough prospect for the Pirates, who have been better recently, but still find themselves a long shot at making the postseason.
Even with just a 1.1% chance to clinch the final NL Wild Card spot, per Fangraphs, the Pirates could shock the baseball world and do exactly that.
Why Pirates Can Still Make the Playoffs
The Pirates bucked their losing trend at the start of the second half of the season, losing seven straight series and going 7-16, and have begun winning series again.
Pittsburgh has won six of its past seven series and won four straight series since Aug. 14, getting them just two games below .500.
The Pirates still have posted a record of 12-9 during that time, as they suffered a series sweep to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Aug. 21-23.
Pittsburgh is performing better, despite its struggles at the plate, as the pitching has seriously stepped up over the past three-plus weeks.
The Pirates' bullpen has the best WAR in baseball (2.2) since they started winning series again and also since the trade deadline, when they added four relief pitchers.
Pittsburgh bolstered its bullpen with spot starter/middle reliever Lake Bachar, setup man Luke Weaver, plus former top closers, Camilo Doval and 39-year-old Kirby Yates.
Those bullpen additions, plus the dominance of closer Mason Montgomery, improvements from middle relievers, Carmen Mlodzinski and Yohan Ramírez and the emergence of rookies, Khristian Curtis and Wilber Dotel, have completely changed the Pirates' bullpen.
Starting pitching is also much better during this latest streak, tied for the eighth-best WAR (2.1), as Braxton Ashcraft has dominated and Bubba Chandler has been solid too.
Jared Jones and Paul Skenes had great outings in their last start and will try to continue that through September.
The Pirates have struggled offensively, but also have center fielder Oneil Cruz and rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin back from injury.
Both players have made incredible plays, with speed, contact, power, and great fielding that the Pirates have missed for the past two to three months.
The Pirates also have solid hitters in Bryan Reynolds, Nick Gonzales, Spencer Horwitz and Esmerlyn Valdez, all of whom need big performances in September.
A combination of great pitching and improved hitting can put the Pirates right back into the postseason discussion, but they need to do it now.
Where Pirates Stand in NL Wild Card Race
Team | Win Percentage | Games Ahead/Back |
|---|---|---|
Philadelphia Phillies | 81-63 (.563) | +4.5 |
Chicago Cubs | 81-64 (.559) | +4.0 |
Arizona Diamondbacks | 77-68 (.531) | -- |
San Diego Padres | 75-68 (.524) | 1.0 |
St. Louis Cardinals | 72-72 (.500) | 4.5 |
Miami Marlins | 72-73 (.497) | 5.0 |
Pittsburgh Pirates | 71-73 (.493) | 5.5 |
The Pirates have four teams ahead of them for the third NL Wild Card spot, trailing the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are 77-68 and hold that final place.
Pittsburgh also trails the San Diego Padres, one game back, the St. Louis Cardinals, four and a half games back and the Miami Marlins, five games back.
The Pirates also face strong opposition in their final 18 games, starting with a Chicago road trip, battling the American League Central Division-leading White Sox at Rate Field, Sept. 8-10, and the Cubs, who are four games ahead in the NL Wild Card race, at Wrigley Field, Sept. 11-13.
Pittsburgh then hosts the Milwaukee Brewers, who have the best record in baseball, Sept. 15-17, and the Cardinals at PNC Park, Sept. 22-24, marking four postseason-contending teams of their last six series.
Only the Kansas City Royals, Sept. 18-20 at PNC Park, and the Detroit Tigers, Sept. 25-27 at Comerica Park, are out of postseason contention, and the Pirates are favorites.
It's not going to be easy for the Pirates, but they've been winning recently, and now it's time to begin a winning streak and prove they belong in the playoffs.
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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.