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Pirates Power Rankings: Trade Deadline Looming for Pittsburgh

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Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

The Pirates bookended the All-Star Break with a 6-1 span of games, heading to the break on a four game winning streak before claiming a home series against the MLB-best Philadelphia Phillies. They sit at 50-49 on the season, half a game out of the third and final wild card spot. Even with a record hovering just above average, they garner recognition in a mediocre National League playoff field. 



The next ten days will prove crucial for the Pirates, with the potential for a final push ahead of the trade deadline (or an ill-timed slump in the opposite direction) helping to sway the front office toward buying or selling… and determining the tenor of the last two months of the season.

Here’s a look at how various power rankings rate Pittsburgh with the trade deadline looming.

Pirates Power Rankings

  • MLB.com ran their weekly power rankings following the All-Star Break, ahead of Pittsburgh’s series win over Philadelphia. All the same, they promoted the Buccos three spots to No. 18, preaching for them to take care of young starters like Paul Skenes and Jared Jones rather than selling out in an attempt to win this year.
  • ESPN, similarly, withheld from publishing a new set of rankings in light of the short week, putting Pittsburgh’s playoff odds at 10.7 percent—they climbed as high as 28 percent following the winning weekend—and asserting that the Pirates should proceed with caution regarding their young pitchers, especially with Jones already on the Injured List.
  • The Pirates are up to No. 16 in CBS Sports’ rankings, who praised them for winning eight of their past nine games and called attention to the crucial upcoming series with St. Louis.
  • USA Today bumped the Pirates up to No. 18, calling attention to their ability to beat the Phillies despite sending the back half of their rotation to the mound. 

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