Pittsburgh Pirates: Three Extremely Bold Predictions For 2022

Boldest: Pirates Secure A Playoff Spot

Oh boy, this is the big one. My biggest and boldest prediction is that the Pirates will secure a playoff spot, making it back to October baseball for the first time since 2015. So, why is this my big prediction?

Well, as I stated earlier, the team by July doesn’t look all that bad. There are some great prospects that more than likely will be part of the major league roster by then. But they’ll add even more talent down the stretch. The big addition post-All-Star Break is going to be Carmen Mlodzinski. He’ll likely start the year at Triple-A, and as long as he isn’t injured, he could be a second-half call-up if his performance beforehand doesn’t demand it.

The likes of Nick Gonzales, Quinn Priester, and Liover Peguero may get a major league promotion sometime in September. While that won’t have a major impact on the overall season, the fact that so many players will be MLB-ready not only gives the Pirates a bright outlook for next season but also the future.

Now with expanded playoffs, the Pirates could make the postseason with only 80-85 wins. In 2020 when MLB experimented with expanded playoffs, the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers both finished with below .500 records and secured playoff spots. Over the course of a full season, their winning percentage comes out to about 78-79 wins.

While the playoffs won’t be as expanded as they were in 2020, the point still remains the Pirates could be a .500 team and have an outside shot at a second wild-card spot. 12 teams will now be in the playoffs, so an 83-win team could conceivably be a playoff team.