The Pittsburgh Pirates have put themselves back in the conversation, even if the odds are still long.
At 71-73, Pittsburgh sits five and a half games out in the National League Wild Card race with 18 games left in the 2026 season. Fangraphs gives the Pirates just a 1.1% chance to grab the final NL Wild Card spot, but the recent run has at least kept the door cracked open.
That turnaround has come after a rough stretch to open the second half. The Pirates dropped seven straight series and went 7-16, but they’ve steadied since then, winning six of their last seven series and four straight since Aug.
- That surge has pulled them to within two games of .500, even with a series sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium from Aug.
21-23.
What’s driving the push is pretty clear: the pitching has carried the load. Pittsburgh’s bullpen has posted the best WAR in baseball at 2.2 since the team started winning series again, and also since the trade deadline, when the Pirates added four relievers. That group includes spot starter and middle reliever Lake Bachar, setup man Luke Weaver, and former top closers Camilo Doval and 39-year-old Kirby Yates.
Those moves, along with strong work from closer Mason Montgomery, better innings from middle relievers Carmen Mlodzinski and Yohan Ramírez, and the arrival of rookies Khristian Curtis and Wilber Dotel, have given the bullpen a completely different look.
The rotation has been better too. During this recent stretch, Pittsburgh’s starting pitching has tied for the eighth-best WAR at 2.1, with Braxton Ashcraft dominating and Bubba Chandler pitching well. Jared Jones and Paul Skenes also delivered strong outings in their most recent starts, and the Pirates will need that to continue through September.
The offense still hasn’t fully caught up. Even so, the Pirates have gotten center fielder Oneil Cruz and rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin back from injury, and both have already flashed the kind of speed, contact, power and defense Pittsburgh had been missing for the past two to three months. Bryan Reynolds, Nick Gonzales, Spencer Horwitz and Esmerlyn Valdez are also part of the mix, and all four will need big September production.
The path is there, but it’s narrow. Pittsburgh trails the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are 77-68 and currently hold the final Wild Card spot.
The Pirates are also behind the San Diego Padres by one game, the St. Louis Cardinals by four and a half games and the Miami Marlins by five.
And the schedule does them no favors. The final 18 games begin with a Chicago road trip, starting against the American League Central-leading White Sox at Rate Field from Sept. 8-10 and then the Cubs, who are four games ahead of Pittsburgh in the NL Wild Card race, at Wrigley Field from Sept.
11-13. After that, the Pirates return home to face the Milwaukee Brewers, who own the best record in baseball, from Sept. 15-17, then the Cardinals at PNC Park from Sept.
22-24.
That means four of their last six series come against postseason contenders. The only exceptions are the Kansas City Royals from Sept. 18-20 at PNC Park and the Detroit Tigers from Sept. 25-27 at Comerica Park, and Pittsburgh is favored in those matchups.
The margin for error is basically gone. The Pirates have started to win again, and now they need to keep it going if they want to turn a late surge into something much bigger.
In Other News...
Pirates Closing In On Two Veteran Returns At The Perfect Time
The Pirates are getting close to some much-needed reinforcements as the season enters its stretch run. Ryan OHearn is expected to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis while working back from a left quad strain, a sign that his return to Pittsburghs lineup is drawing nearer. For a club trying to stay steady late in the year, getting a veteran bat back on the active roster would be a timely boost.
There is also optimism around the bullpen, where general manager Ben Cherington said Kirby Yates could be back from the injured list around September 15 after a right shoulder impingement. Yates has been one of the more important veteran arms for Pittsburgh this season, and his return would help deepen a relief group that can use every reliable inning it can get. The only question now is whether both players can make it through their final steps cleanly and arrive when the Pirates need them most. [Read more 🡒]
Henry Davis May Be Giving The Pirates More Than Elite Defense
Henry Davis has long been valued in Pittsburgh for what he does behind the plate, but his latest night offered a reminder that there may be more coming with the bat, too. In the Pirates 1-0 win over the Angels on Sept. 6, Davis delivered the only run of the game with a solo home run, a swing that fit neatly with the steady defensive reputation he has built as one of the best catchers in baseball.
Afterward, Davis talked about adjustments he has been making to get his back leg more active at the plate while still handling the grind of catching. The Pirates have lived with the offense that has come and gone, because the defense has remained elite, and Davis also helped turn the game with a key play in the field. If the offensive work continues to line up with that kind of glove, Pittsburgh may be looking at a much more complete version of a player it already trusts in the biggest moments. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Need To Give Don Kelly More Dugout Help This Winter
Don Kelly is wrapping up his second season as manager, and the Pirates broad direction in the dugout has started to look like part of the long-term conversation, not just a matter of filling seats. Kelly remains relatively young for the job, and in a clubhouse built around an inexperienced roster, the value of having a steady hand beside him has only become more apparent as the organization thinks ahead to 2027.
Kristopher Negrn has been in the bench coach chair, but his own major league background is limited, which is why the winter could bring a closer look at veteran help. The Pirates do not need to remake the staff, but there is a case for giving Kelly a more seasoned sounding board, especially if the front office wants to tap local coaching talent and add some extra gravitas to a young dugout. [Read more 🡒]