The Pittsburgh Pirates are about to complete their best season in a decade, but it’s still far short of their goals to compete for a World Series. Though this year is coming to a close for the Buccos, there are several things they can try to do next season to finally get them over the hump and back into the playoff picture.
Consider a pitching coach change
The rotation of the Pittsburgh Pirates was supposed to be their marquee position group in 2026, but instead it fell as flat a pancake on the griddle. There were too many stretches
this season where the Pirates’ starters could not get things going. Ace Paul Skenes was uncharacteristically inconsistent, citing that his involvement in the World Baseball Classic may have hindered his outings during the year.
“Usually, that time of year, you’re kind of ramping up and it’s a little bit slow. You can kind of get onto the slope and find your body,” Skenes said. “One live [batting practice], you’re topping at 97 [mph], and then the next you’re 98, 99. And that wasn’t the case this year. … Looking back, I don’t think that really helped.”
The Carmen Mlodzinski saga did not help matters either, and when it was apparent that he wasn’t going to be in the rotation longterm, he too fell apart. Bubba Chandler did not effectively build on his experiences as a rookie last season to improve this season and was largely average for the Pirates, while veteran Mitch Keller looked outmatched and over the hill throughout the year before landing himself on the IL.
The bullpen of course was a disaster all year round too, and only got slightly better after some very aggressive moves at the trade deadline. However, that would prove to be too little too late as the pitching staff began to watch their wheels fall off. First year Pirates’ pitching coach Bill Murphy was not a welcomed addition to the Pirates’ staff, following the organization’s decision to not bring back Oscar Marin. Murphy’s squad blew 16 saves and was all over the place. This group, specifically the starters, is far too talented to have taken such a large step backwards since last season. Perhaps the Pirates would be best suited with another man at the helm of the pitching staff.
Find a consistent presence at catcher
The Pirates have tried, tried and tried again to find their every day catcher for years now. The writing should be more clear than it is, but they really need to think about cutting ties with someone like Henry Davis. Although he’s arguable the best defensive catcher on the team, he’s been and continues to be a liability on offense, to the point where part of the team’s strategy is to get him to bunt instead of pulling balls.
Despite the struggles, General Manager Ben Cherington envisions a future where Davis, Rafael Flores Jr. and Endy Rodriguez are all on the Pirates’ roster and being key contributors .
“We believe all three can be primary catchers on a Major League team,” Cherington said of Davis, Flores and Rodríguez. “The offensive side of Henry’s game hasn’t been at the level we anticipated it would be. It doesn’t mean it won’t get there. We see a guy who’s not striking out, who’s hitting the ball hard and generally making contact. Sometimes guys like that are only an adjustment or two away from putting up much better numbers. We all know the defensive side of his game is a strength.“Flo has come up and really looked like a big piece of the lineup offensively. He’s done some really good things defensively, too. … We see it as a strength going forward. I just hope that group of three continues to challenge each other.”
Now not every catcher is going to be hitting in the .300s like Arizona’s Gabriel Moreno, but Davis hitting .169 is a serious problem. There are enough talented catchers in Major League Baseball these days where there’s no need to keep an anchor attached to your roster. Undoubtedly the organization is trying to at least break even on the former first overall pick, but his defensive prowess might not be enough to keep Davis on as a Bucco.
Remain aggressive on the market
This team is close. At the very least, the Pirates are far closer than they’ve been in a long time. A lot of 2026’s success is a result of last winter. They made a splash trade for Brandon Lowe, Mason Montgomery and Jake Mangum with Tampa Bay. They signed Ryan O’Hearn to a multi-year contract. It is imperative that the front office keep their feet on the gas pedal and not dial back and settle into old ways.
The Pirates need to add one more above average hitter to their everyday lineup. If they can find another hitter in the trade market or free-agency that can deliver on a 20-25 home run season, that instantly puts the team in a far better situation moving forward. If they can add another veteran presence while also resigning Brandon Lowe, 2027’s squad could enter as one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball.
Not to mention this young core is already looking like one that with enough time can grow into something very exciting. Konnor Griffin could be a generational superstar, Esmerlyn Valdez has emerged as a serious power threat at the plate, and Nick Gonzales quietly performed far beyond expectations in 2026. This is not the time for the Pirates to blow things up or to stay stagnant. With one or two more pieces, this team can build off of this season accordingly and take this platform to the next level in 2027.
What do yinz think the Pirates should do to get over the hump? Let us know in the comments!
