The betting public long ago gave up on the Pirates. In turn, Pittsburgh is getting no love in the 2025 futures market. Even in the mediocre National League Central, Pittsburgh can’t or perhaps won’t try to take advantage. The Pirates should continue to drown gamblers in red ink this year. Naturally, the baseball betting odds Pittsburgh Pirates the misery continued in 2024. The Pirates last made the playoffs in 2015. And that streak of futility is expected to continue in 2025. The Pirates refuse to spend money for players and are near the bottom of the MLB payroll.
2025 Pittsburgh Pirates World Series
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2025 Pittsburgh Pirates Manager and Key Players
Pittsburgh ranks 27th for MLB payroll. Major moves: Acquired INF Spencer Horwitz via trade from Toronto (via Cleveland), Signed DH Andrew McCutchen to a 1-year deal, Signed INF/OF Adam Frazier to a 1-year deal, Signed RP Caleb Ferguson to a 1-year deal, Signed RP Tim Mayza to a 1-year deal.
Instead of seizing the online betting opportunity at hand and pushing its budget to support a potentially elite pitching staff, Pittsburgh has remained maddeningly frugal. Their largest expenditure has been the $5M committed to franchise icon McCutchen. Accordingly, he remains a competent contributor. But McCutchen is a far cry from the impact player he used to be entering his age-38 season.
Since 2020, Derek Shelton has been the manager of the Pirates. His career record is 294-414.
LF Bryan Reynolds produced 85 runs, 31 doubles, 24 home runs, and 84 RBI with a .263 average and .790 OPS in 2023. Last year, he hit .275 with 24 home runs and 88 RBI.
RHP Mitch Keller is another key starter for the Pirates. In 2023, Keller was 13-9 with a 1.25 WHIP and 4.21 ERA. Last year, he was 11-12 with a 4.25 ERA.
Last year, Skenes was 11-3 with a 1.96 earned run average and 0.95 WHIP. He was an NL All-Star. Skenes is the ace #1 starter of the staff.
Horwitz represents the club’s most substantial external upgrade as a promising lefty bat offensively coming off a stellar rookie year. Still, he brings minimal defensive value and has yet to prove an ability to handle southpaws.
The Pirates hope he can solidify a first-base position that has been a severe weakness in the post-Josh Bell years. Otherwise, it’s two mediocre lefty relievers and a reunion with Frazier, who is coming off a dreadful season in Kansas City and doesn’t offer much beyond some defensive versatility and a lefty bat that the bench appeared to lack.
Pittsburgh indeed boasts an elite pitcher in Paul Skenes. Also, they own a bevy of other impact arms at or near the major league level. Hence, the Pirates have assembled an enviable foundation on the mound around which to build their roster.
2025 Pittsburgh Pirates Team Overview
The offseason furthered Pittsburgh’s problems in 2024. And 2025 does not look better.
In 2024, the Pittsburgh Pirates had an MLB odds record of 76-86 and were 5th in the National League Central Division. Offensively, Pittsburgh ranked 23rd for runs scored, 23rd for batting average, 27th for OPS, 23rd for home runs, and 16th for stolen bases. Also, defensively, Pittsburgh ranked 19th for earned run average, 22nd for WHIP, 26th for strikeouts, 7th for quality starts, 25th for fewest errors, and 27th for bullpen ERA.