The Pittsburgh Pirates currently hold the second-best odds (21.54%) to land the No. 1 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Only three weeks remain in a season that has provided ups and downs with more valleys than peaks over the course of 150 games.
The Pirates are 65-85, 20 games under .500, and in jeopardy of missing their win total (76) from the past two seasons.
After sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park, the Pirates were swept by the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers and dropped three one-run
games to the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. The first two losses in Baltimore were in extra innings.
The Bucs have lost eight of their last nine, and the positive momentum built by pushing around the Dodgers and taking two out of three from the Boston Red Sox the series prior has evaporated.
Pittsburgh’s offense remains last in runs scored per game (3.6) and 28th in hits (7.7). Pitching continues to be the backbone of the franchise.
Baseball’s top pitching prospect Bubba Chandler proved why he has the potential to be a top-of-the-rotation starter in the Pirates’ lone win during this stretch.
Chandler pitched a perfect game into the sixth in Washington, finishing the day with six frames of one-run ball. He allowed two hits and struck out seven on just 81 pitches. Chandler didn’t allow a walk in the contest, one of the key issues he had in the Minor Leagues.
The Cubs won’t see Chandler, but they will face Paul Skenes. Braxton Ashcraft gets the ball at PNC Park on Monday opposite former Pirate Jameson Taillon.
It’s Skenes Day on Tuesday in a thrilling matchup opposite Cubs young ace Cade Horton. Skenes owns the lowest ERA for a starting pitcher (1.94) in MLB history through 53 starts, dating back to 1920.
He owns a 1.92 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and surpassed 200 strikeouts (203) for the first time in his career.
Skenes’ 10-9 record is one of the most astonishing stats in baseball. It’s an indictment on the Pirates’ offense and the need for Ben Cherington to acquire two or three dependable hitters of significance.
Mitch Keller starts on Wednesday. The Pirates opted to keep Keller at the trade deadline and have been met with mixed results. Keller has pitched up and down the last three second halves.. Keller will oppose lefty Matthew Boyd in the last home divisional series of 2025.
The Pirates have the pitching to play spoiler and hand Chicago a few losses in the NL Wild Card race, but it comes down to whether the offense can score enough runs to support one of the best young pitching staffs in the entire sport this season.
It’s the question spanning the last two seasons since Skenes has gotten here. They still need to make substantial moves to fix it, and make a significant difference in Pittsburgh.
