Jacob Misiorowski's Pirates admission changes the NL Central conversation

For years, the Pittsburgh Pirates were the team their NL Central rivals could safely overlook.

They might steal a series, produce an exciting young player or send Paul Skenes to the mound, but they were rarely treated as a legitimate threat over the course of a full season. The Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers could focus on one another while Pittsburgh remained mostly an afterthought.

But that perception is finally beginning to change. In an interview with Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times, Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski was asked whether the Cubs represented Milwaukee’s biggest threat in the division.

“I mean the Cubs are one of them, but I don’t think I’d say the biggest,” Misiorowski said. “I don’t think any team is the biggest. I think they’re all pretty equal. The Cardinals and Pirates are right there with them.”

It would have been easy for Misiorowski to frame the NL Central race as a showdown between Milwaukee and Chicago. The Brewers are in first place, while the second-place Cubs carry the reputation, payroll and national attention typically associated with a contender. Instead, Misiorowski made sure to mention the Pirates.

Pirates put the rest of the NL Central on notice after stunning Brewers sweep

Pittsburgh may sit in fourth place and trail Milwaukee by 9.5 games, but those numbers don't tell the entire story. The Pirates are only two games out of a Wild Card spot, with St. Louis just one game ahead of them. Their position in the standings is less an indictment of Pittsburgh and more a reflection of how deep the NL Central has become.

That's a meaningful development for a Pirates team that has spent much of the season fighting for credibility. Pittsburgh’s lineup has emerged as one of baseball’s most productive, while its pitching staff possesses the kind of high-end talent capable of making any opponent uncomfortable. The Pirates are not simply hanging around because the rest of the National League has struggled. They have played their way into the race.

In their sweep of Milwaukee right before the All-Star Break, the Pirates demonstrated that they could match up with the division’s standard-bearer. Evidently, the Brewers noticed.

Misiorowski’s comment shouldn't be mistaken for a bold prediction that Pittsburgh will storm back and win the Central. The Pirates still face a significant deficit, and Milwaukee remains in control of the division. But being taken seriously by the teams ahead of them represents progress.

The Pirates are no longer viewed solely as a rebuilding club with an ace and a collection of promising young players. They are becoming a team that division rivals must account for when discussing the postseason race.

Pittsburgh still has work to do, and the front office must strengthen a flawed roster before the trade deadline. Respect alone will not secure a playoff berth. Still, after years of being dismissed, Pittsburgh finally put the rest of the NL Central on notice.

The Pirates are no longer the team everyone expects to fade. They're the team nobody wants to see coming.

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