Pirates Power Rankings: Media Divided On Buccos’ Fast Start

Monday means power ranking day for the Pirates and the rest of Major League Baseball, with various national media outlets releasing their list of how all 30 teams stack up as the new week begins.

Pittsburgh’s 8-2 start to the season has them tied for the best record in baseball and in sole possession of first place in the National League, but many of the rankings aren’t sold on them yet. Although most ranking systems purport to operate on a week-by-week basis, considering the ongoing season’s performance before anything else, it can take time to shake preconceived notions surrounding a team, especially one with a history of hot starts that fall back to earth like the Pirates. 

Here’s a look at the rankings and what pundits have to say about Pittsburgh’s start to the season.

Pirates Power Rankings

• MLB.com puts the Pirates in the No. 11 spot, behind a division rival in the Chicago Cubs—and the Baltimore Orioles, who Pittsburgh just took two out of three games against. The league outlet’s Will Leitch praised the Buccos as one of the best stories in the sport right now, noting their series win over Baltimore as a major step in the right direction after taking down the floundering Marlins and Nationals.
• Matt Snyder of CBS Sports noted that the Miami and Washington series took place on the road, calling the Orioles series a “Big Boy” win. He still put them two spots behind the Cubs, but the No. 6 spot is nothing for Pirates fans to complain about.
• Bleacher Report logged the Pirates at No. 5—the best of any team in the division—saying they’ll need to prove they can sustain success but giving them the benefit of the doubt for now.
• FOX Sports listed the Pirates at No. 8, with Ben Verlander saying “it is time with this team. Are you going to be able to stay in it until the trade deadline and then add around this team? Because if they can, this team can be really good and do some damage.”
• USA Today rained on the praise parade, slotting the Pirates behind Cincinnati, Chicago and Milwaukee. Their reasoning? To hear Gabe Lacques explain, “another awesome April. So what’s next?”