The Pittsburgh Pirates ' playoff hopes have plummeted over the last three weeks.
The Pittsburgh Pirates made it clear over the offseason that they planned to contend for a spot in the National League playoffs in 2026.
Throughout the majority of the first half of the season, the Pirates looked like one of the better teams in the league. Pittsburgh even had a 50-47 record in the middle of July heading into the All-Star Break.
At that time, the Pirates had only a 4.5 percent chance of winning the division, largely due to the surging Milwaukee Brewers, but a 41.2 percent chance, at the very least, of making the playoffs, per FanGraphs.
The front office recognized the opportunity and even doubled down on their stance to compete over the trade deadline when Pittsburgh brought in a collection of relievers to fortify the back of the bullpen.
Unfortunately, everything is headed in the wrong direction for the Pirates, and their playoff hopes continue to fall during the team's roughest stretch of the season.
Pittsburgh had a strong start coming out of the mid-season break, taking two of three games from the Cleveland Guardians. The Pirates haven't been able to sustain that level of play, though, and own just an 8-16 record since returning from the All-Star Break.
Following Pittsburgh's loss to the Miami Marlins on Tuesday evening, the Pirates' chances of clinching a Wild Card berth and making the playoffs dropped to 4.6 percent.
Aug 11, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly (12) leans on the dugout against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn ImagesWhat happened? Why, in what feels like a blink of an eye, Pittsburgh was in the middle of the playoff race, and are now on the outside looking in?
There really isn't just one reason; a combination of factors is working against the Pirates right now.
Pittsburgh's offense once looked like a top-three lineup in all of baseball at the beginning of July, but has reverted back to the struggling the bats that have cursed them over the last few years.
Over the last month, the Pirates have a team slash line of .226/.297/.344, and their .76 wRC+ ranks 28th in all of MLB.
Pittsburgh's starting pitching, which has been the strength of this team for so many years, has also struggled over this stretch. The Pirates' starting pitchers have a 5.42 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP since July 15.
Both the lineup and the pitching staff struggling simply isn't a recipe for success.
Is it still possible that the Pirates end their postseason drought? Sure, it's possible, but a turn around needs to start now, and they'll likely need some help from opposing team to make up more ground.
