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The Pittsburgh Pirates' quest to snap their six-year streak of losing seasons begins on Thursday, when they open the 2025 season on the road against the Miami Marlins.
The Pirates had plenty of questions heading into the offseason, and they answered some of them (sort of). They traded for a first baseman and added an outfielder in Spencer Horwitz and Tommy Pham, respectively. They added some bullpen arms. Still, there is work to be done and more questions to be answered between now and September.
Here are three of the biggest questions hanging over the Pirates that they must answer during the 2025 season.
The Biggest Questions the Pirates Must Answer in 2025
Will the starting rotation live up to the hype?
It's no secret that the Pirates' hopes of achieving any kind of success in 2025 rest squarely on the shoulders of their starting pitchers. We already know Paul Skenes gives them a chance to win every time he takes the mound, but what about the rest of the rotation?
Jared Jones is still the biggest question mark at this point, and the lengthy radio silence from the Pirates about his injury status had many fans fearing the worst; he should return before the second half, but will that be enough? Mitch Keller had a rough second half for the Pirates last year; but honestly, who didn't? Southpaws Andrew Heaney and Bailey Falter haven't had the smoothest of springs, but history tells us it's nothing worth panicking about.
The Pirates going with converted reliever Carmen Mlodzinski as their fifth starter in the wake of Jones' injury is certainly... a choice... but perhaps it's merely a stopgap measure to buy some time for pitching prospects Bubba Chandler and/or Thomas Harrington. The Pirates' decision to wait until May to call up Skenes last season paid off handsomely, so they may choose to take a similar approach with their other prized pitching prospects.
Will the bullpen step up?
Entering the 2024 season, the bullpen was expected to be one of the strongest areas of the Pirates' roster. Spoiler alert: It wasn't.
The Pirates' relief corps finished last season with the fourth-highest ERA in the league (4.49). Injuries were partly to blame, sidelining the likes of Colin Holderman, Hunter Stratton and Ryan Borucki for significant portions of the season; but it was the epic collapse of two-time All-Star closer David Bednar that seemed to serve as a catalyst for the Pirates' second-half struggles in 2024.
The Pirates' best reliever last year was Aroldis Chapman, and he's with the Boston Red Sox now. Pittsburgh will have to hope that the offseason additions of Tanner Rainey, Justin Lawrence, Caleb Ferguson and Tim Mayza can help beef up their bullpen this year, but all eyes will undoubtedly be on Bednar as he looks to return to his 2023 form.
Can Ke'Bryan Hayes bounce back?
Speaking of players who need a bounce-back season like nobody's business, let's talk about third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes. His chronic back problems played a big role in his incredibly disappointing 2024 season, and the Pirates desperately need him to stay healthy this year.
We already know that Hayes is an elite defender at third base, and he hit .271 with 15 homers and 61 RBI in 2023 after signing an eight-year contract with the Pirates. If he can replicate that in 2025, that contract might look a little less disastrous than it does currently.
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