Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe has achieved a milestone in his first year with the team.
Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe is having a great first season with the team.
Lowe reached a major milestone, hitting over 30 home runs this season. He has been a great addition to their lineup, as he's slashing .260/.329/.484 with 31 homers, 28 doubles, 88 RBIs, 89 runs, and an .813 OPS.
The 32-year-old is in the final year of his contract and will hit free agency this offseason. He has led the Pirates in home runs, with the next-closest being a tie between Oneil Cruz and Ryan O'Hearn at 18.
Lowe's impact has been exceptional for Pittsburgh's offense, and they should look to retain him this offseason. He's been their best and most consistent hitter and would be a major loss if he leaves in free agency.
The Pirates look like they're going to come up short of a playoff spot, but they took a step forward in the 2026 season. They are eight games back of the final Wild Card spot in the National League.
Pittsburgh has a strong pitching staff, but could use some more firepower in their lineup. On their pitching staff, they are led by Paul Skenes, who has been great in his first three seasons in the league.
In his rookie season, Skenes was an All-Star and won the NL Rookie of the Year Award, posting a 1.96 ERA with 170 strikeouts, 32 walks, and a 0.947 WHIP.
He was even more dominant in his second year, posting a 1.97 ERA with 216 strikeouts, 42 walks, and a 0.948 WHIP, earning another All-Star Game appearance and the NL Cy Young Award.
He hasn't played at that level in the 2026 season, as he has a 3.78 ERA, 185 strikeouts, 46 walks, and a 1.130 WHIP. However, Skenes is still one of the best pitchers in baseball and the foundation the Pirates can build around.
If Pittsburgh can re-sign Lowe to a new deal this offseason and add some more bats around him, they could make a push to end their playoff drought in the 2027 season.
