One All-Star from the Pittsburgh Pirates is excited for the future of the team despite them missing the playoffs.
The Pittsburgh Pirates may not be heading to the postseason this year, but the team can still take a lot from the 2026 season.
Pittsburgh was much more competitive this season, only being eliminated from postseason contention recently. The Pirates saw a jump in terms of development from multiple young players, giving them some hope for the future.
But this organization still needs to break through to end a long playoff drought that spans back to the 2015 season. However, the future of the organization is extremely bright for the Pirates as they get ready to close out the year.
Pittsburgh has a chance to finish 2026 with a winning record, sitting at 80-77 right now. And with just a few games left to go, the Pirates want to end the year on a high note.
Pirates All-Star Ryan O'Hearn is excited about the direction that the club is going, saying that this is a group that he believes Pittsburgh can build on heading into 2027. O'Hearn has been around the league for a while now, and the Pirates can easily be a playoff team next season if all goes to plan.
Pittsburgh has gone 13-6 during September, amidst a potential run to the playoffs. This has impressed O'Hearn the most, and it is a big reason why he believes that the Pirates are headed in the right direction after multiple seasons at the bottom.
With a core of Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Konnor Griffin, and others, this team could be special next season. Pittsburgh also has Esmerlyn Valdez, Brandon Lowe, Spencer Horwitz, and Nick Gonzales to use.
The hope would be that the Pirates starting rotation could be dominant all season long next year, giving this team a well-rounded approach. Pittsburgh saw some cracks from the starting rotation throughout the season, and it ultimately did them in.
Ace Paul Skenes will be looking to get back on track after a shaky 2026 season. Skenes said that his drop in velocity was likely due to him performing in the World Baseball Classic.
But without this, the right-hander could get back to being one of the more dominant pitchers in the game today. Pittsburgh will be counting on Skenes to turn things back around, giving them the ace that the sport has come to know over the last few years.
Overall, the Pirates do have an extremely bright future, and this group could be competitive for years to come.
