Experts believe Pirates could capitalize on rest of NL Central's shortcomings

The Pirates finally made some headway in terms of upping spending this winter, and those bold moves are now yielding bold predictions. MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince looked into his crystal ball and saw Pittsburgh wearing the NL Central crown. The exercise was, of course, all about going out on a limb, but Castrovince’s evidence is pretty sound. Maybe 2026 will finally be the Pirates’ year.

The primary reason for predicting that the Pirates can go worst to first this season has as much to do with the Bucs as it does with the rest of the division. According to ESPN, the Pirates had one of the better offseasons in the NL Central. Only the Cardinals ranked higher, but they are in the midst of a complete overhaul and won’t be competitive for a couple more years.

Pittsburgh even matched the Cubs grade-wise and could have surpassed them had the Cubs not snatched up Alex Bregman. The Pirates’ front office finally did enough to back up the talented young pitching staff and put the team in a position to succeed.

Pirates may be emerging as bold pick for surprise NL Central division crown

Circumstances beyond the Pirates’ control could push Pittsburgh further up the division ladder. The Reds, a team that relies heavily on pitching, are already reeling due to injuries to starters Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo, and the Brewers, the winningest team in baseball last season, opted to deal their ace. That’s two division rivals who made the playoffs that are now entering 2026 with a demonstrably diminished roster.

The Cubs will be the main competition for the NL Central title. Kyle Tucker is irreplaceable, but Bregman has the ability to transform a clubhouse and, subsequently, a team.

Luckily, the Pirates have a transformative player, albeit a rookie, of their own. Konnor Griffin appears to be a superstar in the making. If he fills a modicum of his potential when the club eventually calls him up, he will be a massive upgrade over Jared Triolo — the Opening Day shortstop and the weakest bat in the lineup. Triolo could then revert to the utility role that earned him a Gold Glove in 2024.

The arrival of Griffin, even though he didn’t make the Opening Day roster, marks a new age of Pirates baseball, and in this era, anything could happen.