We’ve known it would be true for a while now, but the news is now official.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been officially eliminated from playoff contention. 2025 marks the 10th consecutive season the Pirates will not make the postseason.
The last time the Pirates made the playoffs was during the memorable 2015 season. The Bucs won 98 games, Gerrit Cole finished top five in Cy Young voting, and the team was a juggernaut that was victimized by the one-game Wild Card.
The same postseason format that made
the 2013 Wild Card Game a magical and memorable event was the downfall of the 2015 team.
Cubs starter Jake Arrieta shut down the Pirates following a Cy Young Award season, finishing 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA and a 0.86 ERA in his final 20 regular season starts.
The 2025 Pirates are 65-86, 21 games under .500. The Bucs have not finished with a winning mark since 2018 and totaled four winning seasons since 1992.
Pittsburgh needs to win all 11 of its remaining games to reach its 2023 and 2024 win total of 76 games. Their record under manager Don Kelly is seven games under .500.
Paul Skenes is a significant favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award and takes the hill for his final home start on Tuesday.
The Pirates host the Chicago Cubs at 6:40 p.m. and Skenes owns a 1.92 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 10-9 record, and 203 strikeouts in 30 total starts.
