Excitement is buzzing all around the Pirates right now. After a disappointing Opening Day, the team has been blazing hot, winning five in a row to bring their record to 6–3 on the season. This included a weekend sweep of the new-look Baltimore Orioles, a team with lofty expectations this year. This excitement isn’t just built off a few series wins, though. If this streak keeps up, it looks like the Pirates’ window as contenders could be opening. Let’s dive into a few reasons why this is becoming apparent—and what might be on the way to extend this potential window.
Let’s be clear: we hope beyond everything that Paul Skenes and the Pirates are able to reach an extension before his contract runs out. However, for the sake of this article, let’s assume Skenes’ time in Pittsburgh runs through 2030, when his contract expires. If we assume that, it’s fair to consider that timeline as the Pirates’ realistic window for postseason competition. This has always been the case—the problem was that the window hadn’t opened yet. While frustrating, this is why MLB insiders have repeatedly talked about the Pirates needing to trade Skenes, because it didn’t look like they’d be contenders before his contract was up. However, with recent developments, that may be changing.
Joining Skenes in the pitching staff is Mitch Keller, who should provide reliable innings for at least three potential playoff runs before his extension runs out. Beyond that, the Bucs don’t have a single starting pitcher whose contract they need to worry about. Braxton Ashcraft has looked utterly dominant and still has five years of control left. Bubba Chandler has six. Soon-to-return Jared Jones will be back from Tommy John with five, and Carmen Mlodzinski won’t reach free agency until 2030. Hunter Barco, Antwone Kelly, and Tom Harrington provide additional organizational depth.
And that’s not even accounting for Seth Hernandez, the 19-year-old right-hander the Pirates took sixth overall last year. It looked like Hernandez might be more of a project, but then he showed up to Spring Training pumping 102 MPH four-seamers with a disgusting parachute changeup. He’s shot up prospect lists and now looks like he could reach the big leagues quicker than expected.
The offense is a bit of a different story—but a path is visible. Konnor Griffin has debuted, along with a massive nine-year extension. While he only collected one hit in his first series, he reached base in every game and already looks like a weapon on the basepaths and with his glove. He’s just 19 and looks like he could be one of the best players in the game over the next four years.
Joining him under team control are Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, Nick Gonzales, Jake Mangum, and Henry Davis—all of whom come with their concerns, but still look like pieces of the next great Pirates team.
However, let’s not kid ourselves. The reason the Bucs’ offense has looked so good early in the year is the new additions. Ryan O’Hearn was signed to a two-year deal this offseason, and it’s paying off. He’s been one of the best hitters in MLB so far this year, and while that pace probably won’t hold, it looks like he’s found another level in his 30s. He should be around for the next two playoff runs.
Brandon Lowe is basically the only everyday Pirate likely to depart after this year—and even then, there’s a path to him sticking around. Yes, Lowe is an upcoming free agent, but he’s eligible for the Qualifying Offer. That gives the Bucs a win either way: he either returns on a one-year ~$25 million deal, or he walks and the Pirates receive a compensatory pick. If Lowe keeps hitting the way he has while providing surprisingly strong defense at second base, this feels like the most likely route.
So yes, it looks like the Pirates’ pitching window could outlast their hitting window, with Lowe and O’Hearn likely only around for the next few years. But when you factor in what’s coming through the minors, that concern starts to fade.
Edward Florentino has gone from unranked on some prospect lists to as high as 15 in all of MLB in the span of a year—and it’s easy to see why. The 19-year-old hit 16 home runs and stole 35 bases in just 83 Rookie and A-ball games last year. He looks like a corner outfield prospect who could explode onto the big-league scene as soon as late 2027.
Jhostynxon Garcia, Termarr Johnson, and Esmerlyn Valdez also look like solid upper-minors bats who could contribute in the big leagues over the next year and into the next half-decade.
All in all, you have to hand it to them. They might have stumbled into it, but it looks like the Bucs have set themselves up for success—at least through 2030. Moves will still need to be made, and not every piece will hit its ceiling, but those are problems every team deals with. If they play their cards right, this could be the start of something very real in Pittsburgh.
