Pirates Power Rankings: Attention Turns to 2025

The Pirates managed a winning record last week for the first time in nearly a month, dropping their road series against the Texas Rangers before taking three of four from the Cincinnati Reds at home. One game above .500 didn’t do much for their playoff hopes, however, as their 62-68 record has them in the cellar of their division, eight games out of the final wild card spot in the National League with six teams to jump in order to get there. 

As starting pitcher Bailey Falter said Friday, “Packing it in is not in our dictionary, not in our category… we’re always battling no matter what. Every pitch, every at-bat, so we’re just trying to finish the year strong and I feel like we’re doing pretty well right now.” Even so, time is running thin.

Here’s a look at where the Buccos sit in the various power rankings, their postseason dreams dwindling with barely a month to go in the regular season.

Pirates Power Rankings

• MLB.com kept the Pirates at No. 23, three spots behind Cincinnati for the worst margin in the National League Central.
• CBS Sports bumped the Pirates up one spot to No. 22 but remained firmly in “wait till next year” mode, talking about the rotation’s big three of Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Mitch Keller and how they bode well for plans to contend in 2025.
• USA Today dropped Pittsburgh another spot to No. 23, hyping up the team’s mended relationship with Barry Bonds… a common theme in the various power rankings this week. That off the field headlines (even positive ones like the Bonds reunion) take precedence over the team’s play is a good indicator of where the team’s hopes this season stand.
• Bleacher Report moved the Buccos to No. 21, reiterating that there’s hope for next year—an important milestone as the rebuild creeps past half a decade—but little consolation for fans right now.