The Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t viewed favorably as the team goes to Spring Training.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are going into the 2025 season without many expectations, but there is a lot of optimism and hope for the year.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden conducted a power ranking where the Pirates were listed at No. 23.
The Pirates’ starting rotation — Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, Bailey Falter and Johan Oviedo — is good enough to make the playoffs. However, on offense, they have big questions. It looks like moving Oneil Cruz to center field was a success and that he’ll be their long-term solution there. First baseman Spencer Horwitz, whom they acquired in a trade with the Guardians, should be a solid addition to the lineup, but he might not be ready for the start of the season after undergoing wrist surgery. It’s also unclear how much veterans Tommy Pham and Andrew McCutchen have left in the tank, whether Joey Bart can replicate the success he had last year, if Ke’Bryan Hayes can stay healthy for a full season, among other key questions. (Can Bryan Reynolds have a career year? Will any of their young position-player prospects, like Nick Gonzales or Endy Rodríguez, make an impact?) And, finally, in the bullpen, can two-time All-Star David Bednar bounce back after a poor year?
The only teams that sat behind the Pirates were the Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, Athletics, Los Angeles Angels, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox.
BD community, what do you think of Pittsburgh’s placement in the power rankings? Chime off in the comments section below.