Pirates Power Rankings: Slow and Steady to the Deadline?

The Pirates held their position in the developing National League Wild Card race this week, taking a series against their division rival St. Louis Cardinals before losing two of three against the Diamondbacks. Both series posed crucial for Pittsburgh, as both St. Louis and Arizona sit immediately ahead of them in the standings. As has been the case all year, though, the Buccos didn’t deviate one way or another in the quagmire of a playoff field, playing to a .500 record on the week.

Without dramatic movement up or down the standings, most power rankings suggested that the Pirates should keep doing what they’re doing, making small, supplemental trades to bolster their offense—like Monday’s deal that swapped Quinn Priester for Boston’s 2020 first round pick, Nick Yorke.

Here’s a look at what they had to say with barely 24 hours before the 2024 trade deadline.

•  ESPN moved the Pirates up to No. 17, although they debut their power rankings each Thursday… ahead of Pittsburgh’s slide against the Diamondbacks. Analyst Jesse Rogers advocated in favor of general manager Ben Cherington’s cautious strategy at the deadline, saying that “small add-ons make sense” as opposed to a major shakeup.
• The Pirates held fast at No. 16 on CBS Sports’ rankings, which noted that the Pirates won’t play a team with a losing record for nearly three more weeks: it’s crunch time for the Buccos.
• USA Today continued to follow Rowdy Tellez’s resurgence as they dropped the Pirates one spot to No. 19.