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A capsule look at the 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates:
Final record: 82-80
Noteworthy: Even though the Pirates have missed the postseason for the 11th straight year, this marks the franchise's first winning season since the 2018 Pirates finished 82-79, and only the franchise's fifth winning season since 1993.
National League Central Division finish: Third place, 21 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.
NL Wild Card standings finish: Six games behind the 88-74 Philadelphia Phillies, who secured the third and last NL Wild Card playoff position.
Home record: 44-37
Road record: 38-43
All-Stars: Starting pitchers Paul Skenes and Braxton Ashcraft
Season turning point: The Pirates were tied for the final NL Wild Card playoff spot with a 55-52 record following a victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 27. From July 28 through Aug. 12, however, they won only three of 15 games and fell six games out of the Wild Card playoff chase with a 58-64 record.
Most vital statistics: After finishing last in the NL in both runs scored (583) and home runs (117) a year ago, the Pirates beefed up their batting order with a series of free-agent and/or trade acquisitions. It paid off this season in the PIrates scoring a total of 767 runs -- an average of 4.73 runs per game over 162 games -- this season, and hitting a franchise-record 186 home runs. The runs scored total was the most by a Pirates team since the 2000 Bucs scored a total of 793 runs, and the 186 homers this year easily eclipsed the previous season franchise record of 171 that was hit by the 1999 team. The Pirates finished fourth in the league in team batting average with a .253 clip, and fifth in the league in runs scored.
Hidden statistic: The Pirates' pitching staff, expected to be the team's strong suit at this season's outset, finished only tied for eighth among 15 NL staffs with a cumulative earned run average of 4.15. In 2025, the Pirates' pitching staff was third best in the NL in earned run average (3.76).
Most valuable player: Second baseman Brandon Lowe came to the Pirates in a three-team offseason trade and led the Bucs in home runs (35) and RBIs (96). However, Lowe signed a one-year contract with the Pirates and is now a free agent who will be in heavy demand on the open market this offseason.
Most valuable starting pitcher: Ashcraft blossomed this year as a full-time starting pitcher, earning a trip to the MLB All-Star Game and leading the Pirates staff in wins (14). With 173 strikeouts in 165.1 innings pitched, the right-hander was second to Skenes (200) in that category.
Best rookie: Outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez started his major league career like gangbusters after a midseason call-up, hitting 17 home runs and driving in 47 runs in just 72 games played. The 22-year-old won the NL Rookie of the Month Award in July, when he hit eight homers and knocked in 25 runs.
Most valuable reliever: Left-hander Mason Montgomery made the Pirates' three-team trade shine even brighter, emerging as the Bucs' clear-cut closer late in the season, when he put together a streak of 25 scoreless appearances from July 27 to Sept. 26 that set a new Pirates franchise record for relievers in the modern baseball era (since 1901). The streak involved a total of 24 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. The 26-year-old also converted 18 saves in 21 opportunities this season, and used his 100 miles-per-hour plus fast ball to strike out 105 batters in 68.2 innings pitched.
Celebrated debut: Shortstop Konnor Griffin, who was chosen by the PIrates with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2024 MLB Amateur Draft, signed a franchise record nine-year, $140 million contract with the Bucs before making his April 3 debut at the age of 19. Griffin missed a substantial amount of time this year with two different injuries -- appearing in only 80 games and hitting six homers, driving in 33 runs and carding a batting average of .272 -- but the Pirates believe that the sky is the limit for his future.
Biggest factors in finish: Injuries that left three key players -- outfielder Oneil Cruz, rookie shortstop Griffin and first baseman Ryan O'Hearn -- sidelined for extended stretches of time put a damper on the Pirates' batting attack that had averaged 5.3 runs per game prior to the all-star break. A shaky bullpen that had blown 19 saves before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, coupled with the year-long struggles of 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Skenes -- who was expected to anchor the starting rotation but had a 10-11 record this season and saw his earned run average balloon from an NL best 1.97 last season to 3.82 in a staff-high 32 starts this year -- also weighed heavily in the Pirates falling short of their postseason goal.
Homer happy: Eight Pirates players hit 10 or more homers this year. Along with Lowe's 35, Cruz (20), O'Hearn (18), veteran outfielder Bryan Reynolds and rookie Valdez (17 apiece), catcher Rafael Flores, Jr. (11), and first baseman Spencer Horwitz and catcher Henry Davis (10 apiece) all reached double digits in round-trippers.
Iron man Reynolds: Durability has been a strong suit for Reynolds, who completed his ninth season with the Pirates this year and, for the first season in his career, accomplished the feat of playing in all 162 games. Reynolds has been a beacon of reliability for the Pirates. Prior to this season, he played in at least 154 games in three other seasons. He also drove in 72 runs this season and led the MLB in doubles with 40.
Batting leader: Pirates third baseman NIck Gonzales made a spirited bid for the NL batting title, finishing fourth with a .303 batting average. Arizona's Gabriel Moreno won the league's batting crown with a .311 average.
Biggest offseason need: If the Pirates can somehow re-sign Lowe, it would keep their very potent lineup completely intact while retaining the 2026 team's most productive offensive player. Though Lowe has publicly expressed interest in negotiating another contract with the Pirates, he'll likely demand a very lucrative contract of four years or longer that plenty of other teams around MLB will be dangling in front of him. Lowe has said that he is open to discussing an extension with the Pirates, who will be facing a staunch bidding war for his continued services.
Biggest question mark: Will there be a season in 2027? A lockout is a distinct possibility as the MLB Players Union and team owners aren't seeing eye-to-eye on key issues. Even if the issues get resolved, a resolution isn't likely to happen quickly, making the prospect of a sizeable chunk of the 2027 schedule getting scrapped a likely scenario.