The Pittsburgh Pirates reached the All-Star break with momentum, but the first half still left a few glaring problems on the table.
At 50-47, Pittsburgh is right in the mix, sitting 2.0 games out of the final National League Wild Card spot. The sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers helped send them into the break on a high note, yet the work ahead is obvious: if the Pirates want to get back to the postseason, they have to clean up the mistakes that have dragged them down.
The biggest issue is the bullpen, and it’s not close. Pittsburgh has the best offense in baseball and the worst bullpen, a brutal combination that has kept the club from fully cashing in on its run production.
Dennis Santana has been a huge disappointment, and outside of Gregory Soto, the rest of the relief group has underachieved. That makes the second half simple in theory and tricky in practice.
The addition of left-hander Brandon Eisert, along with the break, could help reset things. If it doesn’t, the Pirates risk wasting one of their best offenses in years.
Marcell Ozuna also belongs on the list of first-half letdowns, even if there are signs he may be turning a corner. He hit .181 in April and .213 in May, and for a while the right-handed power bat the Pirates wanted in the middle of the lineup looked like a miss.
Hitting .263 in June and going 4-for-14 in his last four starts has softened that view, but it doesn’t erase how rough the first two and a half months were. For that stretch, he was easily the most disappointing player in Pittsburgh.
The rotation has its own concern, too. The veteran anchor in the middle of the staff has had a troubling 2026, allowing at least three runs in nine of his last 11 starts.
That stretch has left him with a 2-6 record in those outings and a 5.14 ERA. His velocity has been inconsistent, and his command has been shaky at best.
The Pirates need him to get back to being the dependable number-three starter he’s been for years, even if he doesn’t have to be perfect.
The second half will tell whether these disappointments stay as first-half problems or turn into something much bigger for Pittsburgh.
In Other News...
Pirates Get A Bullpen Arm Back At A Critical Time
The Pirates got a bullpen arm back at a useful moment Friday, activating right-hander Wilber Dotel off the 15-day injured list and putting him on the 26-man roster ahead of their doubleheader against the Guardians. Dotel had been working his way back through a rehab assignment, and the club is counting on him to give the relief corps another option as it navigates a long day against Cleveland.
Dotel is expected to be available for the second game, which gives Pittsburgh a chance to ease him back in rather than asking for immediate heavy lifting. The timing matters because he had opened the season in strong form before the injury, and the Pirates could use even a partial return to that version of him as they try to stabilize the middle innings. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Turn To An Unexpected Arm As Bigger Doubleheader Questions Loom
With a doubleheader against the Guardians on July 18 forcing some short-term roster juggling, the Pirates turned to right-hander Khristian Curtis as their 27th man for the day. Curtis was added to handle the first game, giving Pittsburgh an extra arm for a spot start in the schedule before the club sends him back to Triple-A Indianapolis.
The move fits the kind of one-day roster math that often comes with a twin bill, especially for a pitching staff that needs to keep one eye on the next game as much as the current one. Wilber Dotel is set to come off the injured list afterward, and the Pirates also moved center fielder Oneil Cruz to the 60-day injured list to clear the way for Curtis to join the 40-man roster. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Pitcher Just Changed How Rivals Have To View The Pirates
The Pirates have spent enough time being treated like the NL Centrals long-shot project, but that perception has started to change around the division. After Pittsburgh swept the Brewers right before the All-Star break, Milwaukee pitcher Jacob Misiorowski was among the voices acknowledging that the Pirates belong in the same conversation with the Cubs and Cardinals as the race tightens.
Pittsburgh still has ground to make up in the standings, but the bigger shift is how opponents are talking about them now. They are no longer being framed only as a rebuilding club, and with a Wild Card chase still within reach, rivals have to account for them as a legitimate threat rather than a team just trying to hang around. [Read more 🡒]