Pirates See Slight Increase In Power Rankings

"It was reported that the Pirates wanted to add offense this winter, and they followed through when they signed first baseman Ryan O'Hearn and traded for second baseman Brandon Lowe and outfielder Jake Mangum," he wrote.

Rogers added, "If newcomer Jhostynxon Garcia can also produce, Pittsburgh will have changed at least some of its fortunes at the plate in a positive manner. Trading two starting pitchers was worth the risk."

Pittsburgh will certainly be relying on some new names to produce this season, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. They may not be done just yet though, and that's a key reason this team shouldn't be taken lightly as the 2026 season inches closer and closer.

Pirates Not Dead-Last In NL Central

This team has hopes of making the playoffs and was even projected to win their division. Looking at this set of rankings, Rogers does indeed have them ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals. While that's the only NL Central team they're ahead of, that shouldn't come as a surprise knowing this division produced three playoff teams last season.

The Cardinals sit at No. 26 while the Milwaukee Brewers lead the way at No. 7. Their greatest rival, the Chicago Cubs, are No. 9 while the Cincinnati Reds round things out at No. 16. Ultimately, there's not too much of a gap between the Pirates and Reds.

Something to note is the Reds were No. 8 in the Way-too-early 2026 rankings. The Brewers were No. 1 in the Final 2025 rankings which says a lot as well. Even though the Pirates haven't seen a ton of movement, these other teams have.

If Pittsburgh makes another key move or two in the next month, there's no reason to believe they can't crack the Top 20. They've been far busier than some of the league's top teams, including the New York Yankees, and that should pay dividends come summer-time.