The Pittsburgh Pirates got a real boost at the plate in September, and three bats stood out above the rest.
Pittsburgh finished the month hitting .260/.335/.407 for a .742 OPS, good for the fifth-best batting average, sixth-best on-base percentage, 12th-best OPS and 15th-best slugging percentage. That surge helped the Pirates go 14-10 in September and close the season at 82-80, giving them their first winning record since 2018.
Brandon Lowe was at the center of that run, and his September only made his offseason status more interesting. In 22 games, he hit .317/.398/.598 with a .995 OPS, collecting 26 hits in 82 at-bats, along with two doubles, seven homers and 14 RBI.
Lowe did plenty of damage in the final homestand, where he launched five of his seven September home runs, including four in five games. His biggest swing came Sept. 19 against the Kansas City Royals at PNC Park, when he delivered a go-ahead, two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth of a 6-5 win.
He finished with 35 home runs, the most since Josh Bell hit 37 in 2019, and he was the Pirates’ best hitter in 2026. Now a free agent, he’s set to draw serious competition this offseason.
Oneil Cruz also answered a major question after returning from a left hand fracture on Aug. 17. Instead of fading, the Pirates center fielder finished strong, batting .342/.429/.494 with a .922 OPS in 22 games.
Cruz racked up 27 hits in 79 at-bats, plus three doubles, three homers, 15 RBI and six stolen bases. His September line ranked among the best in baseball, with the ninth-best batting average and the 11th-best on-base percentage.
His top game came in the Pirates’ 13-12 win over the San Fransisco Giants at PNC Park on Sept. 1, when he went 4-for-6 with four RBI. He also authored one of the loudest swings of the year, crushing the hardest home run in baseball in 2026 at 117.4 mph in a 2-0 win over the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Sept. 10.
Cruz ended the year with 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases, giving him his third straight 20-20 season and second straight 20-30 season, a rare line in Pirates history. If he stays healthy, Pittsburgh has one of the better players in baseball on its hands next season.
Rafael Flores Jr. gave the Pirates something else they’ve been searching for: offense from behind the plate. In September, he hit .313/.361/.537 with a .898 OPS, totaling 21 hits in 67 at-bats, three doubles, four home runs and eight RBI.
Flores put together a 10-game hitting streak during the month and recorded his first four-hit game in a 5-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on Sept. 15. Then he came through again the next day against the Royals, hitting a two-run, go-ahead homer in the eighth inning of a 4-3 win.
Among catchers, Flores finished with the fourth-best batting average, fifth-best slugging percentage and OPS, and sixth-best on-base percentage. He still has work to do defensively, but the bat has already shown it belongs in the Pirates’ lineup next season.
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The frustration around Cherington is not just about one executives future, but about the timing of it. Pittsburgh has seen limited progress toward October relevance during his tenure, and keeping the same voice in charge invites the same questions the Pirates have been hearing for years: what exactly has changed, and when will the results finally match the patience being asked of everyone else? [Read more 🡒]