Don Kelly's latest Pirates surge might be answering a major offseason question

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a major decision to make this upcoming offseason about who will be the club's full-time manager moving forward. But perhaps that decision has already been made for them, as the best candidate for the job may be the man who is already doing it.

Don Kelly, who had been the Pirates' bench coach since the 2020 season, took over in May when manager Derek Shelton was fired after a 12-26 start to the season. While he was never given an "interim" tag – signaling trust and long-term consideration – questions remained about how long Kelly would remain as the Pirates' manager; after all, he had no prior managerial experience. (Neither did Shelton at the time he was hired, and we all saw how that turned out.)

Since taking over for Shelton, Kelly has led the Pirates to a .500 record (52-52). He went 21-4 in his first 25 home games against teams with winning records, which tied Dusty Baker and Pat Moran for the second-best home record for a manager in their first 25 home games against winning teams since 1901.

Don Kelly's latest Pirates surge might be answering a major offseason question

Even after Friday's loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, Kelly has a 35-19 record at home since taking over as manager in Pittsburgh. The Pirates are now 42-31 at home, meaning they won't finish with a losing record at PNC Park this season.

Another notable stat is that the Pirates have completed five sweeps of winning teams under his leadership at PNC Park – the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers and, most recently, the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. For this team, that's nothing short of miraculous.

The Pirates didn't turn into an offensive juggernaut overnight when Kelly took over; in fact, they still rank in the bottom-third of the league in nearly every offensive category. But strategically, Kelly’s willingness to lean into “small ball” like bunts and productive outs is creating more scoring chances and an emphasis on fundamentals – which has led to more wins.

Kelly is a hometown hero – a Pittsburgh native who began his playing career with the Pirates and returned as a coach. His authenticity and passion resonate with fans and the organization alike. Combine that with tangible improvement in team performance, an energized clubhouse and strategic clarity, and he has already begun to build the kind of momentum that can transform a rebuilding organization.

While it's important to maintain perspective – 104 games is a small sample size, after all – the combination of on-field upswing, cultural reset, widespread support and alignment with leadership makes a compelling case in Kelly’s favor. Even with limited opportunity, he's done just about everything he can to prove that he is the best man for the Pirates' managerial job moving forward.