Pirates President Confirms The Goal for 2026

PiratesFest back on Jan. 24 at the David L. Lawrence Convetion Center in Downtown Pittsburgh gave fans a chance to ask the front office questions about various topics.

One fan asked Williams about what accountability looks like for this team in 2026 and he committed again to his statement that the goal is earning a spot in the postseason.

“Well, that statement certainly has a life of its own,” Williams said. “And matter of fact, my kids told me they actually, I think a few people made shirts out of it at some point during the season.

“We meant what I said: Our goal is to make the playoffs. Period. Full Stop. That is the expectation of this organization."

Williams noted some of the internal development for the Pirates in outfielders Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz, plus right-handed starting pitcher Mitch Keller that came before he joined on in late 2019.

He also mentioned star pitcher Paul Skenes and other players that have come up during this decade through the drafts, international signings and elsewhere that give them a good chance to achieve that playoff goal.

"We’ve been building for that for some time. If you think about it, players like Mitch Keller and Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz, they all were here before Ben, myself and Donny and those players were acquired, they’ve been signed and they’ve been developed before us and have continued that development and they’re key players in what we’re trying to build for and with that.

"Plus what we’ve been able to do and have the privilege to do with Bob [Nutting] of continuing to build on that corps over the last several years and being led by a Cy Young pitcher like Paul Skenes, having that strong corps of position players, we have a great opportunity in front of us this season, and we realize that.”

Williams also pointed to the additions that the Pirates have made this offseason, but that they can add even more.

He finished his statement by wanting fans to hold him and the front office accountable, but that they're ultimately excited for the season to get underway.

"And so we said at the beginning of the season that we were going to be aggressive, aggressively add to this team, especially on offense and if you look at the signings, All-Star Ryan O’Hearn, All-Star Brandon Lowe and many other strong players and we know there’s still more work to do.

“There’s a lot to be excited about with respect to this team and therefore, we are absolutely committed, but we know there’s still work to do. We know there’s also execution during the season and so, with that, we are committed to making the playoffs, period, full stop and we’re gonna hold ourselves accountable to that and we want you to hold us accountable to that, but the other part of that is, we look forward to the fun ride this season and we look forward to all of you coming along with us on that ride.”