ESPN just raised the stakes for Pirates' most important offseason in years

While the 2026 season came to a bittersweet end, with the Pittsburgh Pirates ultimately falling out of the playoff race, it's hard to say that the club didn't exceed initial expectations. The club proved that they could solve their biggest issue in 2025, scoring runs and winning more games than they lost, if only just barely.

Now, though, the song is different. The Pirates have legitimate expectations. If 2026 was the stepping stone, the goal for 2027 has to be making the playoffs for the first time since 2015. That's reflected in ESPN's early 2027 power rankings, in which Pittsburgh holds the No. 9 spot.

David Schoenfield justifies the ranking, writing, "One of the most shocking results of 2026 was the Pirates finishing sixth in the majors in runs scored after ranking last in 2025. That helped lead to an 11-win improvement, and while you might normally pencil in regression, that won't necessarily be the case. Konnor Griffin has the tools to explode in his sophomore season while Esmerlyn Valdez slugged .510 with 17 home runs in half a season."

The young players, and their development, was a major key, with Konnor Griffin and Esmerlyn Valdez getting shoutouts. There's an idea that full seasons from these budding stars will help propel the team forward in 2027. Griffin was one of many Pirates who dealt with injuries that derailed their postseason hopes, while Valdez didn't become a fixture in Pittsburgh's lineup until June.

Similarly, Schoenfield noted that the rotation should be better automatically. He's expecting a bounce-back from Paul Skenes, a leap from Bubba Chandler, and a boost from a full season from Jared Jones.

On both sides of the ball, the farm system could deliver yet another boost with Seth Hernandez and Murf Gray looking like the next blue chippers to make the big league leap.

The Pirates will fall flat if they rely solely on the development of youngsters to propel them forward in 2027

With so many exciting young players, it's easy to start believing that things will automatically get better. Griffin can reach his superstar potential, Valdez can cut down his strikeouts while maintaining his incredible power, Hernandez can become the next big thing in the rotation, and so on.

While those are all within the realm of possibility, they are not guarantees, and subscribing to this theory is a trap. While all of these players may one day truly cement themselves as stars, development is rarely linear. There's a possibility, for example, that the whiff issues finally come back to bite Valdez. Or that Griffin doesn't find his slug. Or that Hernandez struggles in the upper minors and never gets called up.

Stagnant years, or even steps back, are often a part of a young player's journey from prospect to star. Look no further than Oneil Cruz for a prime example. Over time, developmental twists and turns don't matter much if the end result is a cornerstone talent, but in a one-year period, these bumps in the road can derail an otherwise promising season.

That's why Ben Cherington can't just sit on his hands and believe that internal improvements will fuel the Pirates' rise. The team has other holes, like the bullpen and catcher, that must be addressed. It would also be a mistake to let key veterans like Brandon Lowe walk, just as it would be a major gaffe to ignore adding a veteran lefty to the rotation simply because there's a lot of young talent on the pitching side of things.

It's harder to win when there are now expectations placed on you, and without enough veterans who have been there before, the young core could wither under the pressure. If the Pirates press the right buttons this offseason, they'll be one of the league's most formidable clubs. If not, they'll set themselves up for an inexcusable disappointment.

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