The All-Star break is a time for reflection, and for the 2025 Pittsburgh Pirates, the first half has rendered a definitive verdict. Forget the narrative of a rollercoaster; the team’s 39-58 record is the logical endpoint for a roster with a fatal, structural flaw. The final two weeks included a tantalizing six-game winning streak immediately erased by a 1-8 collapse. And now the verdict is in. The second half is about accountability.
A Cosmetic Fix
The firing of Derek Shelton was an admission that the 12-26 start was untenable. It was a necessary move, but it has since been exposed as a cosmetic one. Under Don Kelly, the team has played to a 27-32 clip. While tangibly better, this is less a sign of a turnaround and more a testament to how low the bar had been set. Kelly’s energy has provided a different pulse, but a new pulse cannot fix a broken body. The team’s glaring flaws, particularly on offense, prove that the problem was never just the person in the dugout.
Diamonds in the Rough
Amidst the systemic failure, there are franchise-altering talents that make the losing all the more infuriating. Paul Skenes starting the All-Star Game for the second consecutive year is a monument to what this organization can do on the pitching side. Oneil Cruz’s presence in the Home Run Derby is a showcase of the kind of electrifying, singular talent that winning teams are built around.
The organization has proven it can acquire elite talent on the mound, but not in the batter’s box. They remain incapable of building a competent team around the good players that they do have. A promising 2025 draft class only reinforces this pattern. The front office can find the diamonds, but too often, they are left buried in the rough.
The Offensive Woes
You cannot talk about the 2025 Pirates without confronting the damning indictment of their offense. There is no spin. There is only failure. At the break, the Pirates are:
- Last in Major League Baseball in runs scored.
- Last in home runs.
- Second to last in OPS.
- Dead last in Win Probability Added (WPA).
This is a catastrophe. It is mathematical proof that the organization’s overarching hitting philosophy has failed on every conceivable level, creating an anchor that drags the entire team down night after night.
The Final Referendum
The second half of the season, beginning with the July 31st trade deadline, is a final referendum on General Manager Ben Cherington. His job is on the line, and he is now caught in a desperate paradox of his own making. He must sell some assets because his team has failed, and he must buy MLB-ready offense because he has failed to develop any himself.
The final 65 games are potentially an audition for survival. The front office must provide the fanbase with a clear, compelling reason to believe in its path forward. If they cannot, the next major change will not be in the dugout, but in the GM’s office.