ATLANTA -- Paul Skenes stood at his locker surrounded by reporters on Sept. 19 ahead of the Pirates’ final home series against the Athletics. He was named the team’s Most Valuable Player and Pitcher of the Year, but the conversation quickly shifted to the direction of a franchise that fell well short of its preseason goal of competing.
There are reasons for optimism moving forward, whether it’s the farm system or the young pitching that they have grown into Major Leaguers. Skenes was asked about the latter and whether it’s a reason to be excited about next year’s team. The Pirates’ ace responded, “Yeah, but we thought that coming into this year, too.”
When asked what needs to be done for the group to take that next step, Skenes’ answer centered on sacrifice and players knowing they can improve. They were the words of someone who has become a leader for the young pitching staff.
They were also the words of the best pitcher in the National League, who was on the verge of completing his second of three seasons during which he was not yet eligible for salary arbitration. If there’s a window to compete, it should be right now. It didn’t happen in 2025.
This was not the season the Pirates envisioned. After finishing 76-86 the past two years, their record regressed in 2025, finishing 71-91 after a 4-1 loss to the Braves on Sunday at Truist Park.
It’s probably too soon to speculate what the winter will bring since there are no guarantees on who will be running the ship. General manager Ben Cherington was noncommittal about manager Don Kelly’s status for 2026 during a media availability during the last homestand, saying that there will be a “full assessment” at the end of the season. Cherington’s own status is in question after a sixth straight losing season.
Instead, perhaps the best way to look forward is to take another glance back. The keys to improvement will be the same as they have been over the past few years: making external additions and improving internally. On the offensive side, the Pirates didn’t do either this year.
There was plenty of criticism this past winter that Pittsburgh didn’t do enough to supplement the roster. The Bucs intended to do more, especially on the trade front, but it was a sluggish winter for trades league-wide and they were unable to add to the team like they hoped.
The biggest trade they made was for Spencer Horwitz, one of their few bright spots on offense, who finished with a team-high .787 OPS. He wasn’t supposed to be their only big addition.
Internally, every returning Pirate, except Henry Davis and Jared Triolo, finished with a lower OPS in 2025 than they did in '24, and months-long slumps marred Davis and Triolo’s seasons. As a team, they finished last in the Majors in runs (583), home runs (117) and OPS (.655).
“As a whole, all year, offensively, we were bad,” Reynolds said in Atlanta. “That’s not a recipe for winning.
If you’re looking for improvement, getting Oneil Cruz back on track and having Reynolds have a whole season like his impressive second half (.817 OPS) would be a huge help. Cruz recognized as much, saying during this last trip in Cincinnati, “I know I can do better,” via interpreter and coach Stephen Morales.
It’s not just them, though. Triolo showed some encouraging signs in the second half of the season, which would be a massive boost if he could replicate them for a full year. Top prospect Konnor Griffin is on a trajectory that would have him in Pittsburgh at some point in 2026. Candidly, there’s plenty of room for improvement throughout the lineup.
There is a pathway to improvement, but it will require both external and internal roster adjustments. Through the frustrations of this year, the Pirates did go 32-33 in the second half and played a Major League-high 60 one-run games (they went 25-35 in those contests). Finding ways to get that one extra hit could be the difference between another 162-game season and playing into October.
After Sunday’s loss, Kelly was asked what the Pirates need to do to be a playoff club in 2026. His answer started simple: “Keep getting better.”
“I think we’ve shown signs of that, especially in the second half,” Kelly said. “I know that .500 isn’t the goal, but we were right there. And I think as we continue to get better, continue to work, continue to stress that every single day having that winning attitude, continue to show up to win the baseball game, work towards that and earn that respect, I thought we showed signs of it. Not there yet, but [we're] on the right track.”
Being on the right track is one thing. Getting to the destination is another. This winter will be pivotal in proving how close they are.