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The 2026 Major League Baseball season will begin shortly. At Passion MLB, as has been the case for years, we are setting the stage for the season by introducing the 30 teams of Major League Baseball.
Today, the Pirates are on the menu.
2025 Season
In 2025, expectations weren't particularly high in Pittsburgh. Fans got excited when Paul Skenes was on the mound. And with good reason: he's one of the best pitchers in the world.
In 2025, the American won his first career Cy Young Award on a team that finished with 71 wins, last in its division.
Additions and departures
Quickly, during the offseason, the Pirates were at the center of several rumors. Regardless of the reasons (fear of a grievance or a desire to take advantage of Paul Skenes before his inevitable departure), there was a sense of seriousness in the city.
And even though guys like Kyle Schwarber and Framber Valdez didn't sign with Pittsburgh, the club has improved.
In fact, three big additions in terms of hitters have caught the eye: Brandon Lowe, Ryan O'Hearn, and Marcell Ozuna. These three guys are going to make a difference. The Pirates had a terrible offense in 2025. It will be less terrible this season.
Brandon Lowe, Ryan O'Hearn, and now Marcell Ozuna!
Harold and @RoFlo discuss the Pirates' offseason after reportedly adding another big bat in Ozuna. https://t.co/LOF3npvwbt pic.twitter.com/EWE8DULkAg
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 9, 2026
Gregory Soto will also be a great addition to the bullpen, given his experience. Jhostynxon Garcia, a young player acquired from the Red Sox organization, will be able to blossom with the Pennsylvania team.
Among the notable departures, Andrew McCutchen left unhappy with how he was treated. Tommy Pham, Alexander Canario, Ronny Simon, Mike Burrows, and Johan Ovideo are also gone.
Strengths and weaknesses
The Pirates' rotation will be a strength. Mitch Keller, the excellent Bubba Chandler, Jose Urquidy, the young Braxton Ashcraft who is pushing forward, and Jared Jones who will one day be healthy: it's a good group.
Add Paul Skenes to that and it's truly among the elite. That will make up for a mediocre bullpen, let's say.
Offensively, the additions that will join the Spencer Horwitz, Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Nick Gonzales, and Jared Triolo of this world will ensure that the club, to a certain extent, will hold its own.
The one who could be a game changer is Konnor Griffin. Baseball's #1 prospect is likely to become the regular shortstop very quickly and could energize this club.
“Excited to have him help us win a lot of games in Pittsburgh this year.”
Count the #Pirates‘ Paul Skenes among those impressed by Konnor Griffin, MLB's No. 1 prospect: https://t.co/AHI1vb7rLg pic.twitter.com/pQNHJGBTeo
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) February 12, 2026
Expectations for the 2026 season
If all goes well, the Pirates could be in contention for the playoffs. Nothing is guaranteed, of course, considering that there are several good teams in the National League, but still: it's not completely impossible.
They have a long way to go, but they've made a lot of additions. And with Paul Skenes, anything is possible.
Created by humans, assisted by AI.
