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Sep 7, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly (12) looks on from the dugout against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pirates Playoff Hopes Are Already in Trouble

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Mar 31, 2026 4:00 PM ET

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates didn't envision their start to season going quite like it has and it's not something they can allow to continue if they want to reach their ultimate goals.

The Pirates are 1-3 through the first four games of the season, which included one win in a three game series vs. the New York Mets at Citi Field to start the year and then a 2-0 defeat to the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on March 30.

Pittsburgh made important additions this offseason to their lineup, but the play overall hasn't been good enough, scoring just two runs in the first nine innings of each of the past three games.

Jesse Rogers of ESPN wrote about the Pirates as one of the most polarizing teams in baseball, and isn't confident, describing the idea they improved offensively this winter as "hogwash."

"...They're improved," Rogers wrote. "In some areas. Great. They're still not good enough to contend for the postseason and have already lost a Paul Skenes start. They can't do that very often and expect to make noise in 2026.

Why the Pirates Might Not Make the Playoffs

The Pirates biggest issue so far isn't really their additions made over offseason, as both second baseman Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn have hit .443 and all four home runs for the team.

Pittsburgh's biggest problem is the rest of their lineup, as they've gone 20-for-144 elsewhere, which results in a .138 batting average.

Center fielder Oneil Cruz, left fielder Bryan Reynolds, catcher Henry Davis and shortstop Jared Triolo have played in all four games and are hitting below .200. First baseman Spencer Horwitz and free agent signing in designated hitter Marcell Ozuna have hit below .100

The Pirates were one of the worst hitting teams in baseball in 2025, and while they've added more hits, they still haven't scored enough runs, going 6-for-45 with runners in scoring position and have left 40 runners on base.

Pittsburgh did struggle on Opening Day on the mound, with Paul Skenes giving up five earned runs and departing before the end of the first inning, albeit, with four of those runs coming on two mistakes from Cruz.

The Pirates bullpen also had their issues, with six earned runs coming over the next 8.1 innings following Skenes' leaving the game.

Why the Pirates Could Turn Things Around

The Pirates did struggle pitching-wise on Opening Day, but have been much better the past three games, posting a 1.93 ERA with just six earned runs over 28 innings.

Right-handed pitchers in Mitch Keller, Carmen Mlodzinski and Braxton Ashcraft combined for 16.1 innings pitched and just four runs allowed, a 2.20 ERA, and the bullpen allowed just two earned runs over 11.2 innings pitched, a 1.54 ERA.

The Pirates were always going to need their pitching to really lead them to any sort of serious postseason contention and rookie Bubba Chandler will also feature in this rotation, plus, Skenes should bounce back from his worst career start.

It's also only been four games and the bats have the potential to finally start producing, outside of O'Hearn and Lowe.

The Pirates will also call up shortstop Konnor Griffin at some point in 2026, the consensus top prospect in baseball, who brings a great bat, speed on the bases and defensive excellence.

Pittsburgh projects more around a .500 team, but with no serious injuries so far, a winning streak in the near future could put them on the path towards a spot in the playoffs.

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

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