The Pirates Don’t Have a Single Good Hitter

Despite the Pirates’ offense being a key area they’ve struggled in for the last few seasons, there were still a few positive takeaways.

Two-time All-Star Bryan Reynolds has been a consistently good hitter since he debuted back in 2019. Also, the team’s center fielder, Oneil Cruz, has possessed immense potential for the past few seasons.

However, when examining the offense this year, there are almost no positive takeaways. Out of the hitters with at least 10 plate appearances, the Pirates only have two hitters with a wRC+ above 100: Joey Bart (127) and Andrew McCutchen (118).

Bart has been fantastic during the 12 games he’s played this season, providing some upside every time he touches the diamond. Through 12 games, Bart has hit one homer while slashing .275/.370/.425 with a 127 wRC+ and a 0.4 fWAR.

McCutchen has also hit decently well through his first 13 games. He’s slashing .270/.357/.405 with a 118 wRC+. However, McCutchen has been playing less than expected, recording just 42 plate appearances in this span.

Aside from these two hitters, it’s been difficult to get excited about the rest of the offense.

Reynolds has been off to a rough start, as he’s posted a wRC+ of just 70 alongside a strikeout rate of 32.1% in 17 games. He’s been limited to being the team’s designated hitter due to a shoulder injury for most of the season as well.

Cruz looked solid early on in the season, but he’s begun to struggle recently as well. Through 15 games, the 26-year-old has hit two homers and slashed .200/.333/.360 with a 91 wRC+ while playing poor defense in center field.

Considering that many thought this might be his breakout season, this has been a bad start. Perhaps his grand slam on Wednesday can build some momentum for him at the plate.

It is important to note that, unlike some of the other hitters on the team, Cruz is getting pretty unlucky at the dish. For example, his xwOBA of .357 is 55 points higher than his actual wOBA of .302. His BABIP of .250 is also a good indication of this.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was one of the team’s hottest hitters out of the gate, but even his numbers have trended in the wrong direction as of late.

Ke’Bryan Hayes‘ swing adjustment has had a significant impact on his game offensively, but it has yet to translate to any actual results. He’s gotten incredibly unlucky so far in 2025, though, as he’s recorded a wOBA of just .281 compared to an xwOBA of .359.

Beyond Hayes, the offense takes an even steeper step in the wrong direction. Nearly all of the team’s younger players are struggling mightily. Endy Rodríguez has been the most notable of these hitters, as he’s recorded a 47 wRC+ across 50 plate appearances.

Both of the Pirates’ main free-agent signings — Adam Frazier and Tommy Pham — have also struggled mightily. Pham currently possesses the highest wRC+ between the two at 38, with Frazier not too far behind at a 28 wRC+. Despite this, both have regularly been starting games for the team.

Jack Suwinski has a monstrous strikeout rate just under 40%. It appears as if his spring success didn’t carry over into the regular season. He’s slashed .156/.289/.188 with a 40 wRC+ in 12 games so far.

Fans had high hopes for both Nick Gonzales and Spencer Horwitz this season, but neither has made too much of an impact. Gonzales will miss significant time this season after fracturing his ankle, and Horwitz has yet to play his first game due to a wrist injury that required surgery.

When breaking down the numbers, it’s clear the Pirates have had very little success offensively. In addition to their team wRC+ of just 63, the team as a whole has also slashed just .195/.280/.293, recording a -1.5 fWAR in the process.

Due to the rough start, people have begun wondering: Are there any reinforcements on the way?

Is Help on the Way?

Luckily for the Pirates, it appears as though some help may be on the way. Triple-A Indianapolis has seen a few hitters find success; Although, given the small sample size, this may not be incredibly reliable.

The player who appears to be the closest to making an impact at the major league level is Nick Yorke, who arguably should have begun the season on the roster despite a rough spring.

Through 21 plate appearances so far, Yorke has hit one homer and is slashing .222/.323/.444 with a 110 wRC+. While Yorke has displayed solid numbers overall, there is some concern regarding his plate discipline, as his whiff rate, strikeout rate, and o-swing numbers haven’t been impressive.

He has displayed some really good batted-ball metrics, though, which gives us hope for his eventual presence in the major leagues. His hard-hit rate of 50% is impressive, as well as his 90th-percentile exit velocity, which has ranked in the 73rd percentile.

Aside from Yorke, six other players have posted above-league-average wRC+ marks in Triple-A, with two of these players being promoted to the big leagues: Henry Davis and Abrahan Gutierrez.

However, many of these players have previously struggled in the big leagues, which may not make them as reliable as the team hopes. The only players in this group that have yet to make their MLB debuts include Matt Gorski and Malcom Nuñez.

With a small group of players who may make a positive impact offensively on the way, it exposes a deeper issue within the Pirates’ farm system. Due to the team’s general manager, Ben Cherington, heavily prioritizing pitching since he took over, there aren’t many impactful bats on the way.

Other than Yorke, among those on Pittsburgh’s top 15 prospects list, the name who is closest to the major leagues is Termarr Johnson, who’s currently just in Double-A Altoona. Johnson still has a long way to go before he’s ready for the major leagues.

While having an abundance of top pitching prospects is nice, the Pirates’ lack of impactful hitters in the minor leagues is very noticeable. The effect of that shortcoming is going to be felt very soon at the big-league level.

Where Do the Pirates Go From Here?

The Pirates have a struggling offense with not much help on the way, meaning it will likely be a long and grueling rest of the 2025 season for Pittsburgh.

Of course, with as much pitching depth the team has throughout the system, they may try and make a move for some offensive help at this year’s trade deadline. However, the club has been hesitant to make any significant external moves, which makes this feel less likely.

This is especially true considering nearly the entire team has struggled, rather than just a few hitters in the order. Taking this into consideration, it’s much harder to justify any large external upgrades when the entire team is struggling.

It’s also possible that these struggles are due to limited action and small sample sizes, meaning the offense could turn it around with time. For the Pirates, this is likely what they’re hoping for, as the on-field product hasn’t been close to what they expected.

If this happens, it’s still possible we see a monster season from someone like Oneil Cruz, who’s showcased good underlying metrics along with the tendency to heat up later in the season.

However, with the team currently in a 7-12 start, it’ll be hard for them to make up significant ground in the standings with this current offensive output.