The Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t made the playoffs since 2015 which is the second largest playoff drought right behind the Los Angeles Angels. This year Pittsburgh had a solid season finishing 82-80 but missed out on the postseason.
The team isn’t far out from making the playoffs but there are still some things that need to happen if the Bucs want to snap that drought. Let’s take a look at the three things the Pirates should do to make the playoffs in 2027.
Re-sign Brandon Lowe
Lowe is coming off a fantastic
season where he had a .260 batting average, 96 RBIs and 35 home runs. Lowe was easily one of the best second basemen this season and he helped transform the Pirates’ offense from one of the worst to a top 10 unit this past season.
Lowe is a free agent who received a qualifying offer and the Pirates need to break the bank and re-sign him. The front office is notorious for not wanting to spend money but he would be worth it.
Add a left-handed starting pitcher and stabilize the rotation
Adding a left-handed arm will round out the rotation and reduce the load on the bullpen. Paul Skenes had a down year with a loss of velocity and injuries plagued starters like Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler and Jared Jones.
The pitching rotation is not terrible but if you get out and get a veteran lefty arm that will help the rotation and relieve pressure off of Skenes who will need to have a bounce back season in 2027.
The Buccos need to go out and get a definitive closer. They didn’t have a reliable relief pitcher for the whole season and that affected them in late innings. I would love to see Pittsburgh go out in the offseason and get a reliable closer and another solid relief pitcher. With a revamped bullpen and another solid arm in the starting rotation the Pirates pitching unit could be back to elite status in 2027 which would be huge for a playoff run.
Reinforce the bullpen and improve health/consistency
I already talked about the bullpen but it is so important for the pirates to address the bullpen. Following the departure of key high-leverage arms and the need to back up backend pieces like Mason Montgomery and Luke Weaver, Pittsburgh must rebuild and deepen its relief corps.
There were some major injuries during the 2026 season so keeping the important players like Konnor Griffin, Esmerlyn Valdes, and Bryan Reynolds on the diamond is essential. Keeping star players off the injured list and converting close games against division and league opponents will be essential after missing the cut in 2026.
