2 urgent changes Pirates still need to make after deserved Derek Shelton firing

Derek Shelton Does Not Have One Memorable Moment as Pirates Manager as Tenure Ends

Now, to the move the Pirates made on Thursday, and why it was beyond overdue.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a 306-440 record since Cherington and Shelton took over prior to the 2020 season. No other general manager/manager duo had a worse overall record in their first five seasons with an organization and kept their jobs. The duo legitimately made major-league baseball history.

These are the raw, non-debatable numbers of Derek Shelton’s ball club through 38 games. The Pittsburgh Pirates have committed 27 errors, which tie them for second-most in baseball and most in the National League. Their 4.31 staff ERA and 175 runs allowed both rank in the bottom 10 in baseball.

The struggles at the plate have somehow been worse than the lack of simple, fundamental defense. Pittsburgh’s 118 runs scored are the second-least in baseball and sit just six behind the 6-29 Colorado Rockies. The team’s -57 run differential sits fifth-worst in baseball and third-lowest in the NL.

Shelton’s squad has the fourth-lowest batting average in the game at .219 (.006 above last place), second-lowest slugging percentage at .325 (.004 above the last place White Sox) and second-lowest OPS at .626 (.010 above the last place White Sox). The Pirates have also struck out the seventh-most times in baseball with 322 Ks and have hit the second-least home runs in the league with 26 (just one behind last place Toronto).

If those numbers were not bad enough, the team constantly runs into outs, gives their opponent extra outs, throws to the incorrect base and takes bad routes to batted balls. Shelton consistently plays his guys out of position, has shown ineptitude in managing his bullpen and does not possess the ability to construct his lineup on a daily basis.

The Pirates have started to cut the heads off the hydra by firing Shelton. He was undoubtedly a problem. But will anything tangible change until all three of these deeds are taken care of?

Things Can Somehow Still Get Worse for Pirates

Just when it appears this season and the regime has hit rock bottom, a new bar comes within reach. The franchise has played 144 professional seasons starting in 1882. The Pittsburgh Pirates, as a franchise, have been below .500 since the early 1900s.

That franchise's overall record has plummeted since Cherington and Shelton took over. The 306-440, or 136 games under .500, record has nosedived the team’s legacy. The Pirates enter May 9 with a record of 10,851-10,845 since the inception of the franchise, just six games over .500.

The 2025 squad appears primed to push the franchise under .500 for their history for the first time in over a century. This could easily happen before the end of the calendar month. The feat should be viewed as the ultimate disrespect to Pirate greats like Dave Parker, Honus Wager, Willie Stargel, Bill Mazeroski, Roberto Clemente and the rest. All of this comes at the hands of Travis Williams, Ben Cherington, Derek Shelton and, of course, owner and chairman Bob Nutting.