2021 Pittsburgh Pirates: Team Schedule [Tickets Available]

Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is rapidly approaching. Now is the time to make predictions for each team heading into the 2021 season, following a 2020 pandemic-shortened campaign.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates have not made the playoffs in five straight seasons. Not only that, over the past 41 seasons, Pittsburgh only made the playoffs six times. They have won five World Series over their 139-year history. In 2020, the Pirates ranked 19th in ERA, posting a 4.68 ERA, and ranked 28th in homers with a total of 59. There is no denying that the Pirates hit rock bottom in 2020, and odds are they will continue to struggle in 2021.

Here are Pittsburgh’s projected starters.

Pittsburgh Pirates Projected Batting Order:

1. OF Jared Oliva 
2. 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes
3. OF Bryan Reynolds
4. OF Gregory Polanco
5. 1B Colin Moran
6. 2B Adam Frazier
7. C Jacob Stallings
8. SS Kevin Newman
9. Pitcher

Pittsburgh Pirates Projected Pitching Staff:

• SP1 Mitch Keller
• SP2 Chad Kuhl
• SP3 JT Brubaker 
• SP4 Miguel Yajure
• SP5 Stephen Brault
• CL Richard Rodriguez

Pittsburgh Pirates Team Outlook:

During the offseason, the Pirates made quite a few trades. In a pair of deals with the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh sent out starters Jameson Taillon and Joe Musgrove. In return, they picked up a bunch of minor league arms along with outfielder Hudson Head, second baseman Maikol Escotto and outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba. Another deal the team made sent slugger Josh Bell to the Washington Nationals in return for starters Eddy Yean and Wil Crowe.

Besides those trades, Pittsburgh added catcher Michael Perez and reliever Chasen Shreve. Most notably, during the offseason, the Pirates lost reliever Keone Kela along with starters Chris Archer, Trevor Williams and Derek Holland. The moves that the team made signals that a rebuild is in the works. The Pirates have no chance at competing in 2020.

Pittsburgh’s only solid major league arm is Mitch Keller and their bullpen is not structured to win games in the late innings. As far as the offense goes, the only players who offer upside are third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and outfielder Bryan Reynolds. The Pirates will continue to struggle in 2021, but hopefully, the rebuild will push them in the right direction over the next few years. Pirates fans will have to be patient with this team.

Pittsburgh Pirates Schedule:

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Article by Mia Perlman