The Unpredictable Swings of 2025
Go back just a week, and the Pirates were fresh off their 6th win in a row, sweeping back-to-back series against the Mets and Cardinals while allowing only 4 runs in the process. Fast forward to today, and here we are, fresh off their 6th consecutive loss, having been swept by the Mariners and Royals in back-to-back series. During this latest slump, they managed to score a mere 9 runs, all of which came against the Royals.
These back-to-back streaks truly encapsulate Pirates baseball under Ben Cherington’s leadership, and, in a broader sense, baseball in general. While this particular roller coaster came at a time in the season when many fans might already be checked out, winning 6 in a row is no small feat. It’s a streak long enough to reel a few fans back in, only to let them down with that exact same streak heading in the opposite direction over the ensuing 6 games.
A Familiar Pattern
Unfortunately, we’ve seen this disheartening pattern play out over and over again during Ben Cherington’s tenure. Lest we forget the strong start they had in 2023, only for it all to come crashing down with multiple losing streaks of seven or more games in a two-month span. Then again in 2024, sitting at 56-54 right after the trade deadline, they would go on to lose 10 in a row and then suffer two more losing streaks of at least three games to close out the season. We all know the result of those two once-promising seasons… 76-86.
The Reality
The 2025 season is far different from either of those. Instead of a strong start, or even just teetering around .500 for a little while, the Pirates have been at least five games under .500 since mid-April. And who would have guessed? The Pirates are currently last in baseball in home runs, second to last in runs scored, and tied for last in OPS.
A Glimmer of Hope (or Not)
One more series to go before the All-Star break. The Pirates head to Minnesota to play the Twins this weekend. It sure would be nice to see them come out of that series with at least two wins. But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.