Will the Pirates be able to get on the postseason ship this year? While the time will answer that, their team lineup is showing enough hope for the fans. Why? Because the moves they made this offseason are huge, to say the least. Well, hope will not bring results from the ground, but the fans have all the reasons to bet on the team this year. The star rookie Paul Skenes, in his second year with the Pirates, is also fired up by getting a star-studded team this year. Can they make it big this year?

The Pittsburgh Pirates ended the 2024 season with a 76-86 record, which was the same as their 2023 record. Last September, they ultimately were knocked out of the playoffs. The Pirates’ relievers ranked 27th in the Majors with an ERA of 4.49 in 2024. While the team created the playoff hope with their lineup in early 2024, that wasn’t reflected on the field. Back to the present, the Pirates are again giving hope to making it big this year. The hope was further fueled with a few good additions.

“The thing that fires me up the most this year is that we have a lot of buy-in. It just feels different,” said Paul Skenes. He is visibly optimistic about how the team bulked up this year. For those out of the loop, Spencer Horwitz is the Pirates’ biggest offseason grab. The lefty batter flashed serious potential last year, and now, Pittsburgh is banking on him to make a real impact. Mitch Keller, Johan Oviedo, and Jared Jones are a few names; they all have a lot riding on 2025. However, the Pirates (86) were ranked #28 last year in terms of weighted runs created (WRC+), and they must improve their offense if they hope to be successful in 2025.

Skenes and the Pirates aim for a breakout 2025 season

While the Pirates are all set to field a contending team this year, it is also for Paul Skenes to make a splash. Skenes, the current NL Rookie of the Year, is expected to continue to dominate after his record 2024 campaign. Skenes is projected to pitch more than 155 innings this season, with 181 SOs, a 3.25 ERA, and 3.7 fWAR. These figures would still put Skenes in the running for one of the best starts in baseball, even though it would be a minor regression from his 2024 campaign.

In 2025, the team’s overall success will depend on their hitting performance and how their young pitchers can sustain a high level of play throughout the season. Their strongest asset is a strong pitching rotation led by top prospects like Jared Jones, which could make them a playoff contender. Well, at least the Pirates are looking good on paper! Oniel Cruz and Bryan Reynolds are the strong bets for the team to score good runs on board. Cruz is projected to touch the 30-30 milestone this year.

While the Pirates are ready for 2025, Paul Skenes will hope for his first Cy Young Award. This will be his first full MLB season and a good opportunity to take the team to the postseason. 

What do you think about the Pirates’ potential this year? Drop your thoughts in the comments!