Pirates’ Players Know Managerial Change Not Enough to Save Season, Explain What’s Needed

PITTSBURGH — The decision to fire manager Derek Shelton didn’t come as a surprise given the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 12-26 start to the season.

The Pirates announced on Thursday their decision to relieve Shelton of his duties and promote Don Kelly from bench coach to manager for the rest of the 2025 season.

“Unfortunately I wasn’t shocked,” staff ace Paul Skenes said prior to Friday’s game against the Atlanta Braves. “At the end of the day we’re 12-26. Someone’s got to be held accountable and unfortunately right now, it’s him.”

The Pirates enter Friday’s action with the third-worst record in baseball and are 10 games out of first place in the National League Central. They’ve lost seven games in a row and 10 of their last 11.

Was Shelton the sole reason for the Pirates’ sluggish start? Absolutely not, but a change was necessary given how quickly things unraveled.

The Pirates rank 27th in batting average (.219), 28th in OPS (.625) and are tied for dead last in home runs (26). On the pitching side of things, the Pirates rank 22nd with a 4.31 ERA.

The outlook of the season looks bleak given the way it’s gone so far, but the 42nd manager in Pirates’ history is up for the challenge.

“I’m excited about the opportunity, to be honest,” Kelly said during his pregame press conference. “When we look at these things, yes the record isn’t where any of us hope it would be right now, but there’s a lot of opportunity for growth, there’s a lot of opportunity to get better and I’m excited about that.”

While the Pirates’ players seemed genuinely happy for the chance to play under Kelly, who has a reputation as not only a knowledgeable baseball guy but a genuinely good and caring human being, wins and losses are decided between the white lines.

“That’s just kind of how it goes but I don’t know that it fixes the root of the issue which is we need to play better,” said Skenes of the change at manager. “That’s been the messaging today, that’s been the messaging for a little bit now and we’ve still got to do that.”

Reasons for optimism have become increasingly rare with each loss, but even Andrew McCutchen, who was on the last Pirates’ teams to reach the postseason, isn’t looking at 2025 as a lost year. The urgency, though, is at an all-time high.

“The optimism is you’re still in the big-leagues, you’re still in a big-league uniform, but nothing is given to you,” he explained. “And as soon as you get it, it can be taken away too. So, bear down, do your job and if not, somebody else is going to take your place. That’s basically it.”

Maybe Kelly will help players do just that. It certainly has the makings of a feel-good story — a Pittsburgh-native who briefly played for the Pirates to start his big-league career getting the chance to lead his hometown team.

While a new voice could serve as a welcomed change in the Pirates’ clubhouse and dugout, the only thing that can save the season is better play on the field.

“He’s gonna do his part. He’s gonna do his job,” said McCutchen. “Obviously, it’s not like we’re trying to lean on him to help us. He can’t help us in a way where it gets us to perform on the field. We have to help ourselves in that aspect. He’s gonna manage. That’s his job. We have to do ours too. He’s gonna do his, we’re gonna do ours. If we can collectively come together and have some success, that’s all you can ask for.”