Pirates' record after All-Star break puts them in shocking company

The Pittsburgh Pirates may be destined for yet another last-place finish in the National League Central division this year, but at least the final leg of their race to the bottom has been fun to watch.

The Pirates' second-half surge in 2025 has been nothing short of remarkable. Before completing a stunning sweep of the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park, they also secured series wins over a pair of American League playoff contenders in the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. Prior to Friday's loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh had won 12 of the last 16 games, including a six-game winning streak at home.

In the bigger picture, the Pirates entered Friday playing 25-19 (.568) baseball since the All-Star break, tied for the fifth-best record in the league during that span. For reference, the only four teams ahead of Pittsburgh in that category – Milwaukee, Toronto, the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston – would all be in the playoffs if the season ended today. The same can be said for the New York Yankees, whose second-half record is still identical to Pittsburgh's after dueling Friday losses.

Pirates' record after All-Star break puts them in shocking company

On the surface, the Pirates don't appear to be doing anything statistically remarkable when it comes to offense. Since the All-Star break, they still rank among the bottom-third in the league in practically every offensive category. That said, comparing their second-half numbers to their first-half stats provides some context as to how much they have improved.

For example, the Pirates' team OPS after the All-Star break is tied for 21st in the league at .702. Ranking 21st out of 30 doesn't sound all that impressive until you compare it to their first-half OPS of .639 – which ranked 29th out of 30, just .001 ahead of the last-place Chicago White Sox.

Ultimately, it just goes to show that if the Pirates were even slightly better at the plate for a full season (not just the second half), it might be just enough to support their world-class pitching rotation and potentially even help them sneak into a Wild Card spot in the postseason. Hopefully, this latest surge isn't enough to save Ben Cherington's job – but if it is, he should be paying close attention and make plans to add even a slightly-above-average bat to his lineup next year.