October Bound: The 2026 Pirates Finally Have The Offense To Match Their Arms.
The Pittsburgh Pirates had one of their most aggressive offseasons in a long time this year. They gave out their first multi-year contract to a free agent since 2016 to 1B Ryan O’Hearn, traded for 2-time All-Star 2B Brandon Lowe, and signed 3-time All-Star DH Marcell Ozuna. These signings bolstered a lackluster lineup, as they hope to take advantage of their superstar Paul Skenes’ cheap contract while they still can.
Last year, the Pirates ranked dead last in runs per game with 3.6 and second to last in OPS+ at 82. They have already shown a huge improvement this year, as they are currently 7th in both runs per game with 5.0 and OPS+ with 114. The Pirates’ rotation, led by phenom Skenes, veteran Mitch Keller, and exciting flamethrower Bubba Chandler, along with a new and improved lineup, makes this Pirates team primed for a breakout.
What’s even more intriguing about this lineup is that this likely won’t be the best version of it this season. While O’Hearn and Lowe have been off to amazing starts, posting OPS+’s of 232 and 192, respectively, Ozuna has struggled, posting a -18 OPS+. Throughout Ozuna’s career, he has been a streaky hitter, so it would not be surprising to see him go off and get back on track. Even with all this said, the most exciting part of this Pirates team has not been talked about yet.
The current #1 prospect in all of baseball, SS Konnor Griffin, was just called up to the Major League roster this week. While he hasn’t had the best start to his career, he has already shown flashes of his potential. In his first-ever at-bat, he slugged an RBI double into the gap. As a #1 prospect, there is obvious talent, and if he hits his potential, this Pirates team could be scary come playoff time.
