The 2026 season ended for the Pittsburgh Pirates the same way it has for over a decade: missing out on the postseason. But that reality shouldn’t be the only takeaway from what the roster accomplished this season.

In many ways, the Pirates took a massive step forward during the season. The offense was better, the young core asserted itself, and the veterans the front office brought in last offseason played their role to perfection.

One number that summarizes all of the progress Pittsburgh made is seven.

Why is the number significant?

Well, that represents the total number of wins that the Pirates had against the eventual World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers throughout the year. In fact, Pittsburgh had the most wins and the best record (7-6) against Milwaukee of any team in baseball.

What helped the Brewers win the World Series was their downright dominant pitching staff. The Pirates didn’t have as many issues against this group as others did.

Compared to the rest of the National League Central, which saw the Brewers the most out of any team in MLB, Pittsburgh had the second-best OPS (.696) against Milwaukee, and they scored the second-most runs, too.

Pittsburgh’s most impressive victory over the Brewers was a 15-4 win in the middle of July. It wasn’t the team’s stars that showed out in this game; the bottom half of the order was responsible for nine of the team’s RBIs.

The pitching staff also did a tremendous job keeping the Brewers’ star-studded lineup at bay. Pittsburgh ended up with a modest 3.79 ERA against Milwaukee.

Brice Turang only had six hits (.130) against the Pirates, and Jackson Chourio didn’t fare much better with eight hits (.205) in his 10 games when facing Pittsburgh. Even the World Series MVP, Williams Contraters only managed eight hits (.200) when facing the Pirates during the regular season.

It’s not a perfect science by any means. In baseball, any team can win any game or series at any given time of the year. Still, what the Pirates accomplished against the roster that would eventually win the championship should count for something.

Pittsburgh’s success against Milwaukee should, at the very least, be a sign that the team is headed in the right direction.

Earlier this week, the Pirates added to their outfield depth by claiming Akil Baddoo off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers.