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Jun 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (15) throws his helmet after making the final out against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images David Banks-Imagn Images

Pirates Clinch Seventh Consecutive Losing Season

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 7:00 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates fans have waited years to see a successful and contending team, but they'll have to wait another year for that to happen.

The Pirates suffered their fifth straight loss, culminating in their second straight defeat in extra innings to the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Sept. 10, 2-1, which saw them amass just two hits.

This loss served as their 82nd of the season, meaning the Pirates can't finish better than 80-82 this season, which is below .500, losing more games than they would win in 2025.

It clinched another losing season for the Pirates, their seventh consecutive, dating back to 2019, when they finished 69-93. That season marked the end for manager Clint Hurdle and general manager Neal Huntington.

Manager Derek Shelton and general manager Ben Cherington took over ahead of the 2020 season, where the Pirates finished 19-41 overall in the COVID-19 pandemic shortened campaign, the worst record in baseball.

The Pirates then kept going through their rebuild, suffering back-to-back 100-loss seasons in 2021 and 2022, before finally appearing competitive the next two seasons.

Pittsburgh had a 20-9 start in 2023 after the month of April, before going 8-18 in May and then losing 12 out of 13 games in June, dropping below .500 and finishing 76-86.

The Pirates were two games above .500 at the end of July 2024, before going 8-19 in August and again finishing the season 76-86.

Pittsburgh had a poor start to the 2025 season, which saw Cherington fire Shelton after a 12-26 start on May 8, replacing him with bench coach Don Kelly, who has gone 52-56 since taking over.

The Pirates currently sit in last place in the National League Central, 24.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers, 12.0 games back in the NL Wild Card race and have the fourth worst record in the MLB.

Pittsburgh is one of the worst hitting teams in baseball, with the worst slugging percentage (.349) and OPS (.654), the third worst batting average (.231) and the fifth lowest on-base percentage (.305).

They also have hit the least home runs (104), RBIs (505), the third least hits (1,118) and tied for the fifth least doubles (219).

The Pirates also tied the MLB record with 26 consecutive games with four runs scored or less from April 23 to May 22, going 8-18 during that time.

This seventh consecutive losing season is the longest in the MLB, with only the Los Angeles Angels posessing a longer streak at nine season, which will hit 10 seasons after they get to 82 defeats over the next week.

Pittsburgh set the North American Professional Sports Leagues record with 20 consecutive losing seasons from 1993-2012.

They surrounded both the beginning of the losing streak and the end with three consecutive playoff appearances, 1990-92, and 2013-15.

The Pirates lost to the rival Cincinnati Reds in the NLCS in six games in 1990 and then to the Atlanta Braves in NLCS in seven games twice in both 1991 and 1992.

Pittsburgh won the 2013 NL Wild Card Game at PNC Park vs. the Reds, but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS in five games. They then lost the NL Wild Card in back-to-back seasons in 2014, to the San Francisco Giants, and in 2015, to the Chicago Cubs.

The Pirates haven't won a playoff series since the 1979 World Series, which they won in seven games over the Orioles, their fifth World Series title.

Pirates fans will hope that their team will get back to winning ways in 2026, with players like pitchers in Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller and Bubba Chandler, plus outfielders in Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz leading the way.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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