It's definitely not too early for Pirates fans to smash panic button after 2025 start

Entering the 2025 campaign, there was an immense amount of pressure on the shoulders of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The club calls the NL Central — one of MLB's most wide-open divisions — home, and had an opportunity to build some momentum with a strong season-opening series against the cellar-dwelling Miami Marlins.

Of course, that's nowhere near how things actually shook out. Instead of making easy work of the Marlins, who were one of the worst teams in baseball last year, the Pirates fell flat on their face in a four-game set hosted by the Marlins.

Outside of a Game 2 win against Miami, the Pirates lost all three of their games to the Marlins in walk-off fashion, which just furthers the embarrassment. Bullpen meltdowns across the board turned what should've been a strong series into a thing of nightmares.

It's not too early for Pirates fans to press the panic button on 2025

The season is still in its very, very early days, so freaking out already may seem ridiculous, but it's warranted for Pirates fans. Followers of the team know how close their hometown club is to the edge of falling out of any hopes for contention. There's an old saying that teams can't win the season in the first month, but they can sure lose it, and the Pirates have been the face of that for years.

Most of the blame for why things fell apart in Miami can comfortably rest on the shoulders of the Pirates' bullpen, which is a unit that already had its fair share of warts before a single game was played this year.

On Opening Day, Colin Holderman and David Bednar, the Pirates' top-two high-leverage arms, were to blame for the Buccos starting their season off on a rough note. Bednar secured a save in the second game (but not before surrendering a pair of runs), while Joey Wentz allowed a pair of runs to score in the third game. Bednar then blew it himself in the fourth contest.

The Pirates' front office can't take their time when it comes to shuffling things around in their 'pen this season. With hopes of contention being razor-thin as it is, roles need to be adjusted and players need to be optioned to the minor leagues if they prove early on that they can't be reliable contributors.

Bednar is not ticketed for a stint in the minor leagues, but his hold on the closer's role should be weak after his season-opening performance(s). We didn't learn any more on that front, though, as the Pirates got wiped out by the Rays on Monday night and have started the season 1-4.