Three keys to Pirates turning preseason hype into regular-season results

Believe it or not, but the Pittsburgh Pirates might be one of the biggest stories in Major League Baseball this spring. At the very least, they are getting more attention and have created more expectations for themselves than at any point over the past decade.

At the root of the hype is the presence of starting pitcher Paul Skenes, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner and arguably the best pitcher in baseball. 

They also have the most exciting prospect — and top prospect — in baseball shortstop Konnor Griffin, who has a chance to be the first teenage position player to make an opening day roster since Ken Griffey Jr. in 1989. 

Along with Griffin, they also have Bubba Chandler, a top-five prospect in baseball and one of the top pitching prospects, ready to earn a spot in an already strong starting rotation with Skenes, Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft and the eventual return of Jared Jones. 

They also actually made some serious investments in their lineup with the offseason additions of second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder/first baseman Ryan O'Hearn and designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. 

All of it together brings some serious hope to a franchise and fan base that has been lacking it. 

There are still three key things that need to happen for the Pirates to turn this hope and excitement into regular-season results.

Bryan Reynolds has to hit like Bryan Reynolds

While Lowe, O'Hearn and Ozuna are big additions that could add 8-10 wins to the roster, a lot of the Pirates' most important improvements are going to need to come from within.

At the top of that list is Bryan Reynolds.

Reynolds has been their best and most reliable hitter for the better part of the past seven years. He has been a two-time All-Star (starting one of those All-Star games) and posted an OPS+ of 111 or higher five times, including four times over 120. He has also consistently been a 3-5 Wins Above Replacement player. That is a consistently above-average hitter and contributor. 

His 2025 season, however, was the worst of his career over a full season, finishing with only a 99 OPS+ and a 1.4 WAR, also the lowest of his career over a full season. A return to his pre-2025 form would be almost as significant as any of the offseason additions to the lineup. 

The Oneil Cruz wild card

The Pirates have been hoping for Cruz to take a leap toward stardom for a couple of years now, but it simply has not happened. There is nobody in baseball who hits the ball harder and more consistently. He steals bases as well as anybody in the league. He has one of the strongest arms in baseball. He has gone 20-20 (20 home runs, 20 stolen bases) two years in a row and has serious 30-30 and perhaps even 40-40 potential.

He has just never put everything together yet, and the 2025 season represented a massive step backwards. It played a big role in an underachieving team that could not even be competitive despite having the best pitcher in baseball. 

At this point, Cruz's chances of being a superstar seem slim. But he can still be a productive, core player. Even if his bat bounces back to 2024 levels, that would be another huge internal upgrade worth a couple of wins. 

Konnor Griffin matches the hype

The hype around Griffin is starting to exceed the hype that surrounded Skenes prior to his debut. Nearly every article written about him, every review of his play, every projection of his upside makes him sound like a Mike Trout-level player. There is still a long way to go before he reaches that level, if he ever does. That is a big expectation. It is also not likely to happen right away.

There will be growing pains whenever he makes the roster, whether it be at the start of the season or later in it. If he is even simply an above-average player as a rookie and shows the signs of his upside, that is also a massive addition to the roster at a prime position. Nobody changes the ceiling this season and beyond more than him. 

Those are big wild-cards. They are also the things that can turn all of this into results. They are also reasonable.