Twenty years on, the Pirates' 2006 home opener still ranks among the most embarrassing days in franchise history. The team had already lost six of its first seven games that year and sat 5.5 games back in the NL Central. Perrotto says that lesson still applies. 😬
Pirates No. 12 prospect Levi Sterling, 20, calls his 2026 a growth year: 4.56 ERA, 130 K in 108 2/3 IP over 24 starts across Single-A and High-A Greensboro, with walks per nine cut from 6.1 to 3.7. Command finally clicked late. 📈
Chris Archer and Tyler Glasnow, the two arms at the center of the 2018 deadline deal, both watched the Rays' 4-3, 12-inning World Series Game 4 win. Pittsburgh got Archer, who went 6-12 with a 4.92 ERA, and hasn't played a postseason game since. 😬
Derek Curiel, the No. 4 prospect in PBN's Pirates Top 30, was the fifth pick in 2026 and signed for $6.2 million. The LSU lefty bat hit .353/.431/.526 as a sophomore, and he's expected to start pro ball in 2027, likely at Low-A Bradenton. 🎯
MLB's proposed playoff overhaul, tied to CBA talks and not guaranteed, could have higher seeds pick their opponents as soon as 2027. For a Pirates team still chasing October, that raises the question of building a roster that can win there, not just reach it.
The Pirates are reportedly hiring Sean Buchanan, Astros Triple-A pitching coach, per The Athletic. His exact role is still undetermined, but he'd likely work in the upper Minors and reunite with Bill Murphy. Houston's pipeline keeps delivering. ⚾
Brewers won 103 games to the Pirates' 82, yet the run-scoring gap was just 65 (832 vs. 767). The real split came on defense: Milwaukee allowed 618 runs, Pittsburgh 739. Pirates' offense improved; pitching is now the bigger problem. 🔍
Zander Mueth, the Pirates' 2023 second-round pick ($1.8M), has a 22.09 ERA in the Arizona Fall League: 10 walks in 3 2/3 innings over five outings. He's still at Low-A Bradenton, and the development questions keep piling up. 🚩
Brandon Lowe, a free agent this offseason, is a first-time Gold Glove finalist after going from -10 to +12 in fielding run value. He also hit 35 homers with 96 RBIs. Jared Triolo is a finalist again too. Winners are announced Sunday. 🥇
Wyatt Sanford, PBN's No. 5 Pirates prospect, went from glove-first shortstop to real bat: .292/.423/.551, 17 HR and 33-for-34 on steals at High-A Greensboro. He's trimmed his strikeouts to 20% in the AFL. Double-A Altoona likely awaits. ⚾
Brewers' eight two-out runs in World Series Game 3 began with a replay challenge that saved Yelich at second. GM Ben Cherington has preached smarter, fundamentally sound baseball, and Milwaukee's rally shows the Pirates what that looks like. 🎯
Jim Bowden of The Athletic predicts Brandon Lowe will land a three-year, $45 million deal, with the Pirates listed among his best fits. That looks light for a 35-homer, 96-RBI second baseman, and Pittsburgh reportedly plans a $23.15 million qualifying offer. 💰
Brandon Lowe, the Pirates' 2026 Roberto Clemente Award nominee, led the club with 35 homers and 96 RBI and pledged $250 per homer to mental health programs. Lindor won the award, and Lowe's looming free agency leaves Pittsburgh with a real decision. 🤝
Pirates' offseason to-do list: re-sign Brandon Lowe (35 HR, a franchise single-season record), add a right-handed bat like Isaac Paredes, and consider a lefty starter such as Foster Griffin. Coming off 82 wins, standing pat isn't an option. 🎯
Cooper Pratt's go-ahead seventh-inning RBI single gave the Brewers a 2-0 World Series lead. His $50.75M extension, signed before his debut, mirrors Konnor Griffin's $140M Pirates deal. Lesson for Pittsburgh: the extension is the starting line, not the finish. 🏁
Brewers' relievers just shut down the Rays for six scoreless innings in a World Series Game 2 win, a reminder for Pittsburgh. The Pirates' bullpen improved after the deadline (3.49 ERA vs. 4.34), but Cherington still has 2027 work to do.
Brandon Lowe, a soon-to-be free agent coming off 35 homers and a 121 wRC+, could cost enough that the Pirates might need to move Mitch Keller ($18.4M) or Bryan Reynolds ($15.25M) to afford him. Keller reportedly looks the easier call. 💰
Paul Skenes' ERA nearly doubled from 1.96 through 2025 to 3.86 in 2026, though he still made the All-Star team and struck out 200. Possible bounce-back signs: he's done it before and has a full offseason. Cy Young form in 2027 is the open question. 🎯
Axiel Plaz ranks No. 6 on PBN's Pirates prospect list after a South Atlantic League All-Star year at High-A Greensboro: .305/.389/.513, 18 homers, 74 RBI. Trimmed strikeouts (17.2%) and catcher defense stand out. Double-A Altoona may be next. 📈
A Pirates fan watched the Rays eliminate Cleveland in the ALCS and flashed back to Game 5 of the 2013 NLDS, when the Pirates lost at St. Louis after missing a chance to close out the series at PNC Park. The piece treats that night as a postseason touchstone. 🎭
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