Even Pirates' incredible pitching couldn't improve team year over year

Remember back in February, when Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bob Nutting said he expected the team to take a "meaningful step forward" and compete for the division and a postseason berth in 2024?

Those of us who are familiar with Nutting's loose grip on reality (and tight grip on his purse strings) knew better than to get our hopes up when he said that. For those who didn't know better, well ... sorry, but you probably should have.

The Pirates finished the 2024 campaign with 76 wins, which is – you guessed it – exactly the same number of wins they had in 2023. But they didn't just fail to get better year over year; they actively got worse.

Even Pirates' incredible pitching couldn't improve team year over year

But wait! What about Paul Skenes? His presence on the roster alone should mean the Pirates improved over last season, right? It might, if he could close games ... or hit ... or do any of the things his teammates failed to do this season.

Yes, Pittsburgh's starting rotation is the only area that can be considered an improvement over last year. Skenes and the rest of the Pirates starters finished among the top 10 in Major League Baseball with 67 quality starts, and sixth in the National League with a 3.95 ERA.

But alas, in every other regard, the 2024 Pirates were still statistically worse than the 2023 Pirates. For starters, this year's club set a franchise record with 1,506 strikeouts. What's more, the Pirates have only had three seasons in their 143-year history in which they have finished with at least 1,400 strikeouts – 2022, 2023 and, now, 2024.

The Pirates also scored fewer runs (665) than they did last year (692), produced a lower team batting average (.234) than last season (.239), and drew far fewer walks (485) compared to a year ago (556). They even stole fewer bases – 106 this year, compared to 117 in 2023. Pittsburgh's bullpen also finished the season with an abysmal 4.50 ERA and 27 blown saves. Perhaps that is why the bullpen coach and hitting coach found themselves dismissed on Monday.

It's impossible to classify the Pirates' 2024 season – their sixth consecutive losing season – as anything but a disappointment. Yes, they finished with the same number of wins this year as they did last year; but in many ways, this year felt worse ... because it was.

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