Pirates Viewed as Playoff Team Next Season, but Here's Why They Might Not Be

The Pittsburgh Pirates have to enter next season hoping and expecting things will improve after a decent season in 2026. 

Not to say that the Pirates were perfect by any means this past year, but there were some moments when this looked to be a squad that had some potential to make an impact on both sides of the baseball and even make the playoffs. 

The problem for Pittsburgh was that it struggled on the mound at times, something we weren't expecting to say during the year. Even starting rotation-wise, it didn't feel like the Pirates were great on that front.

As we look at Pittsburgh entering next season, especially if it re-signs Brandon Lowe, a lot of it's going to come down to how healthy this team can be and whether it has the opportunity to fix some of its bullpen problems. If the Pirates can improve their bullpen, stay healthy, the offense produces at the level we know it can, and they add a couple of new names, they should be in a position to make the playoffs. That's part of the reason why it's not that surprising to see 

The Athletic has the Pirates coming in as a top-15 team in baseball next season at No. 14.

“The arrow is pointing up in Pittsburgh after the club’s first winning season since 2018. GM Ben Cherington enters the offseason with a good starting point for a real lineup, two bona fide back-end bullpen options in Luke Weaver and Mason Montgomery, and what appears on paper to be an excellent rotation: Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler and Mitch Keller. 

“The first question: How will they replace Lowe? He was nearly a 5-WAR player in 2026, smacking 35 homers and operating as the humming engine of the Pirates lineup. Then, an even more pressing concern: Will Skenes be better in 2027? His diminished velocity and 3.82 ERA this season raised red flags after back-to-back dominant seasons with ERAs below 2,” The Athletic wrote.

I'm just very curious to see what this offseason looks like for Pittsburgh more than anything. 

As we saw last year, there's a boatload of young talent. That doesn't necessarily mean Pittsburgh is guaranteed to play well, but it should feel like it has a much better chance of making the playoffs than in prior years. I thought last season was a step in the right direction, but I can understand why some fans are skeptical about whether the team will spend at the level it needs to. 

That's likely what is going to determine whether they have a chance to make the playoffs or not. If the front office wants to be cheap this winter and do things that shouldn't happen, fans will likely be very upset about it.