Feel free to let me know if I’m being dramatic.
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ season is quickly unraveling, with the team seemingly falling apart by the day. Holding a dismal 12-26 record, they finally decided to part ways with manager Derek Shelton—though many believe the move came too late. While Pittsburgh sports fans can usually count on the Steelers and Penguins to rebound, the Pirates don’t inspire the same optimism. Given the state of things, it’s fair to wonder whether baseball is effectively dead in Pittsburgh.
At the core of the issue is owner Bob Nutting, widely criticized as one of the worst in professional sports. In 2024, the Pirates had the second-lowest payroll in Major League Baseball, reflecting a clear lack of investment in building a competitive team. Their biggest offseason move was re-signing 50-year-old Andrew McCutchen for another sentimental one-year deal. Promising player Spencer Horwitz, expected to fill the role of first baseman, hasn’t even suited up for the Pirates yet.
Chants of “sell the team” have echoed through PNC Park repeatedly this season. Nutting’s insistence that he has no intention of selling only deepens fan frustration. This is supposed to be the “City of Champions,” yet the Pirates aren’t just stagnant—they’re sinking.
Thursday’s announcement of Shelton’s firing brought a rare moment of relief for fans. While not solely responsible, Shelton’s leadership was widely seen as ineffective, with an unimpressive 306-440 record during his tenure. Few franchises would have tolerated such poor performance for so long.
Nutting commented that there’s still time to turn things around and that the team must act swiftly to course-correct. But given their consistently poor performance on the field, that sentiment feels hollow. Offensively, the Pirates are among the league’s worst, scoring just five total runs across their last five games during a seven-game losing streak. Things don’t look to improve soon, with upcoming matchups against the Braves, Mets, and Phillies.
Attendance has plummeted, with only around 16,000 fans showing up per game—down 5,000 from the previous year and far below PNC Park’s capacity of 38,747. The stadium, once considered one of the best, is now marred by troubling incidents, including a fan falling and suffering serious injuries, and another physically confronting a park employee.
Although Pittsburgh has a rich baseball legacy, it’s been over a decade since the team’s last meaningful success. Rising star Paul Skenes expressed frustration with constant references to the 2013 team, saying he and the current young core are working to build new memories. But despite his solid 2.77 ERA, the team has gone just 3-5 in his starts—proving one player can’t carry the load alone.
The problems facing the Pirates are extensive, and signs of improvement are few. The situation echoes the decline seen in franchises like the Athletics and White Sox, with dwindling fan interest and decreasing attendance. The Pirates have become an afterthought in the city’s sports culture, representing a dramatic fall from what could have been.
Unless something dramatic changes, this season already feels lost. Perhaps someday a legend like Jim Leyland will give a eulogy for this team—but even that might not go peacefully in Pittsburgh. For now, the 2025 Pirates season appears to be over before it even began.
