Which MLB playoff long shot will be this year’s surprise postseason team?

The Cubs were major rivals for the Pirates earlier in their history, as both were among the best teams in baseball in the early 1900s and the Cubs eliminated the Pirates from the pennant race in the last week of the 1938 season. The Pirates’ first home was Exposition Park, located a couple blocks west of the current location of PNC Park. The Pirates split their early years between that ballpark and Recreation Park, which was located further inland from the flood-prone Allegheny River. Before the 1890 season, almost all of the Alleghenys’ best players bolted to the Players’ League’s Pittsburgh Burghers. The Players’ League collapsed after the season, and the players were allowed to go back to their old clubs. However, the Alleghenys also scooped up highly regarded second baseman Lou Bierbauer, who had previously played with the A.A.’s Philadelphia Athletics.

Pitching

Ahead of their season opener against the Miami Marlins last Thursday, Fangraphs gave the Pirates a 16.2% chance of making the playoffs and a 8.8% chance to win the National League Central. It won’t be long before Jones is joined in the rotation by Paul Skenes, last year’s first overall draft pick and the consensus top pitching prospect in baseball. His fastball received an 80 grade on the scouting scale from MLB Pipeline. He balances it out with a wipeout slider that might be the nastiest breaking pitch in the minors right now. The Pirates are keeping him in Triple-A for the time being, no doubt to manipulate his service time and delay his free agency by another year.

Early 2025 second base outlook

Let’s just take this latest home stand as an example where they won just one out of six games. Realistically speaking the Pittsburgh Pirates playoff chances have probably slipped away. Especially after a 1-5 home stand against the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres that concluded on Thursday afternoon with another crushing 7-6 loss to the latter, concluding a three-game sweep. The NL Central is up for grabs this year, perhaps more than any other division in MLB. The Pirates have a decent chance of making a run, but the question—as always in Pittsburgh—is whether or not owner Bob Nutting is willing to invest sufficiently in the club’s success.

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• Both percentages have jumped the Cincinnati Reds (3-1) for fourth place in the division.
• In 2013, they took out the Cincinnati Reds in the one-game playoff before falling short in five competitive games against the Cardinals in the Division Series.
• He is currently on the injured list with a right lat strain but is getting close to returning.
• Bob Nutting isn’t wrong that this team can be in contention throughout the season, but that’s probably going to be an artifact of there being a smorgasbord of playoff spots and other half-hearted efforts in the NL Central.

Outfielder Bryan De La Cruz came from the Marlins and Isaiah Kiner-Falefa made his way from Toronto. Since coming over, De La Cruz is hitting just .118 and Kiner-Falefa is slightly better at .257. There’s third baseman Josh Harrison, an out-of-nowhere breakout player who is making a run at the NL batting title (.317 average), and catcher Russell Martin, a nine-year vet whose .405 on-base percentage ranks in the top five in the majors. That said, there certainly was a just-happy-to-be-here sentiment to the Pirates’ postseason last year. Like they were the little brother who finally fought his way and got the chance to play ball with his older siblings.

Career pitching

Have the latest news, ticket information, and more from the Pirates and MLB delivered right to your inbox. The six-man pitching rotation isn’t completely healthy right now (Jones and Falter on IL-15), but guys like Luis Ortiz have done a solid enough job to keep the Buccos alive, while Josh Fleming and Quinn Priester have pitched in here and there. Vaughn Dalzell shares why he sees value in the Pittsburgh Pirates to make the National League postseason.

Cincinnati Reds

While he may more likely go to an immediate contender, Chisholm’s flexibility in the field would be a boon for the Pirates. Despite Nick Gonzales’s recent success, the real future of second base for Pittsburgh is Termarr Johnson, who is less than a week shy of his 20th birthday and has yet to see Double-A ball. Chisholm could man second and then move to the outfield when Johnson appears ready to make an impact in the Majors. That is, unless Johnson is roped into a high-profile trade like those outlined above, which is doubtful. As of Monday, September 16th, 2024, the Pittsburgh Pirates have + odds to win the 2024 World Series at BetMGM.

Pirates Playoff Odds: NL Central Could Be St. Louis-Pittsburgh Dead Heat

As already noted by Bleacher Report’s Matthew Smith, the Pirates need to be buyers at the trade deadline this year, especially when it comes to the starting rotation. The Pirates have dropped two series in the past two weeks to the Arizona Diamondbacks, one of their direct NL Wild Card competitors, and they have just one win in their last six games. According to FanGraphs, Pittsburgh has just an 11.4% chance of making the playoffs this season, and the Pirates are projected to finish the season just below .500. Westinghouse Electric foreman Harold Arlin called the first-ever radio broadcast of a baseball game, an 8-5 Phillies victory over the Pirates on August 5, 1921. A rotating group of announcers would call games over the next 15 years until Rosey Rowswell joined the broadcast team in 1936. Rowswell did not travel with the team for road games, instead re-creating the action in Pittsburgh after it came in over the teleprinter, usually an inning or so behind.

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• The Pirates took part in arguably the most famous World Series ending, winning the 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees on a walk-off home run by Bill Mazeroski, the only time that Game 7 of the World Series has ever ended with a home run.
• If the number for our hypothetical Pirates-Phillies matchup was 8 runs, over bettors would require 9 points or more to cash their tickets, while those who bet the under would need 7 or fewer runs.
• The Pirates play an annual interleague series against the Detroit Tigers.
• The general manager has been a buyer and not a seller since 2012, bringing in big bats like Marlon Byrd and Justin Morneau last year at the deadline and trading for Travis Snider and Gaby Sanchez the year before that.
• BP’s co-founder has the Cardinals as odds-on favorites to win the Central by projecting St. Louis to win 91.9 games over Pittsburgh’s 91.6 and Cincinnati’s 91.3.
• But the Buccos are worth keeping tabs on just because their starting pitching is so good.

Prop bets cover a wide market of wagers on player stats, discrete in-game events, and any style of yes/no question. Many props are bets on specific players and their performance, such as betting Bryan Reynolds over 1.5 hits on a given night, or betting that Will Crowe will strike out over 9.5 batters. Some props can be shorter term, such as betting on the number of runs scored in the first five innings or who will hit a home run. Offerings tend to vary depending on the sportsbook, so use our sportsbook reviews to find the best bet for you. The biggest difference between this year and last is the team’s starting pitching, which has been nowhere near as efficient.

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The Pirates were among the best teams in baseball in the early 1900s, winning three consecutive National League pennants from 1901 to 1903 and participating in the first modern World Series ever played, which they lost to Boston. The Pirates returned to the World Series in 1909, defeating the Detroit Tigers for their first-ever world title. That year, the Pirates moved from Exposition Park to one of the first steel and concrete ballparks, Forbes Field. Looking beyond their four-game sweep of the Marlins in Miami, the Pirates have several young players who are cause for excitement. 6’7” shortstop Oneil Cruz has some of the best raw talent in baseball.

Pitching Leaders

No (-650) is likely the outcome, but you can’t risk 6 1/2 times your potential return. However, playing a few dollars on YES (+400) for a chance to multiply up by 4 times isn’t a terrible idea if you have some funds you don’t mind tying up for the summer. The Cardinals also need to find a way to add a bit more slug to their game, as they’re currently 21st in MLB in homers. Without the help of the long ball, St. Louis is going to have to rely on other ways to push runs across the plate if they hope to have a chance. Teams are listed below in order of their postseason odds entering Thursday’s games. To help determine which club could overcome those numbers to claim a playoff spot, we asked seven writers, from Yahoo Sports and MLB.com, to each make the case for one of them.

The Pirates waged a campaign in 2023, avoiding a last-place finish for the second consecutive year. They actually had an amazing start, going 20-9 through the end of April, before snapping back to reality with an 8-18 May. They wouldn’t play above-.500 ball again until September, when they went to finish out the season.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are after one series to start the second half of the season and with the St. Louis Cardinals (52-47) and Arizona Diamondbacks (51-49) on deck, the Buccos have an opportunity to gain major ground in the Wild Card race. Yankees teammates Luis Gil (-155) and Austin Wells  (+320) are have the best and third-best odds, respectively. Sandwiched in between the two is Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser (+270). Pittsburgh has an implied probability of winning the NL Central of 7.69% or 12/1 fractional odds.

TIER 4: PLAYING THEIR WAY OUT OF CONTENTION

The Pirates do not have the longest odds to win the World Series, but they’re much closer to the long-shots than they are to the favorites. Nick Kostos and Ken Barkley have you covered for the best bets on the biggest matchups. Perhaps pittsburgh pirates playoff odds the only silver lining is the team’s schedule heading into the All-Star break in mid-July, which features National League bottom-feeders like Chicago, New York and Arizona despite two series with Cincinnati and one with St. Louis.

The 10 MLB trends that ruled the first half — and whether they’ll continue108dDavid Schoenfield

If you do, you will be banned for a period reflecting the severity of your offense. The second time you’re caught, if there is a second time, you will be permanently banned from the subreddit. This also extends to personnel/players – do not wish harm on people. The Atlanta Braves (+750) and Philadelphia Phillies (10-1) round out the top four teams in the odds, with a trio of teams just behind them at 12-1 each — the Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros and New York Mets. The content on this site is for entertainment purposes only and CBS Sports makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.

Gold Glove winners: Witt, Sale, more

While cleanup hitter DH Andrew McCutchen is getting a little long in the tooth, at least in terms of the others on the roster, this team has a solid base. SS Oneil Cruz had a serious ankle injury, but he is healthy again and expected to be the table setter at the top. OF Brian Reynolds and 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes give this team a solid, young corps to build around offensively.

Bazzana goes No. 1 in 2024 MLB draft

• The Pirates likely need at least a first baseman and a mid-rotation starter.
• The Pirates have scored 14 runs in two games against the Reds entering the third and final game in Cincinnati.
• As of Monday, September 16th, 2024, the Pittsburgh Pirates have + odds to win the 2024 World Series at BetMGM.
• While this season is likely over, both players are in Pittsburgh past this season.
• Ahead of the 2020 season, the Pirates revived the script “Pittsburgh” wordmarks on their gray road and new black alternate road jerseys, which were unveiled on January 24, 2020.

At +20000, Pittsburgh has an implied probability of winning the World Series of 0.50% or 200/1 fractional odds. Pittsburgh looked to be a potential surprise team heading into May, but then the team slid back toward the bottom of the division. The 86 losses were the fewest in a full season since 2018, and it snapped a 2-year run with triple-digit loss totals. The Pittsburgh Pirates wrapped up with a record last season, placing 4th in the fairly competitive National League Central Division. The Bucs showed some signs of life at the beginning of the season, posting an impressive 20-8 record through the 1st 28 games. The story below is a collaboration between writers from MLB.com and Yahoo Sports, who are joining forces this season to cover topics from around baseball.

And Huntington is right to direct his attention toward the division title. If the Pirates are stuck in the Wild Card Coin Flip game, their odds of winning the World Series are essentially cut in half. So let’s delve into the Pirates’ playoff odds with that in mind after we look at the standings the GM says he does not pay any mind to. It won’t be easy, but after a couple of seasons of maddening mediocrity following the miraculous, 107-win campaign in 2021, this year’s squad looks to have enough high-end talent to rise above the messy middle and claim a place in the NL wild-card picture. Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks seem to have a World Series hangover, with Arizona hovering around .500 and Texas four games under that. Both the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets have come back from slow starts to put themselves squarely in the — very muddled — National League wild-card race.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a 75.5 game win total line at BetMGM, with the Over -125 and the Under -105. Betting “Over” means you risk $125 to win $100, while a bet on the “Under” means you risk $105 to win $100. You want to bet Pittsburgh as soon as their odds of winning become favorable, but not too late that the payout will be low. Learn more about how to place futures bets with our helpful tutorial. Moneyline odds, total lines, and run lines for upcoming Pittsburgh Pirates matchups from licensed and regulated US sports betting sites.

The headline deal Pittsburgh made got them the outfield power they needed in former Miami Marlins outfielder Bryan De La Cruz. De La Cruz has 18 home runs this season, which immediately puts him second on the team in home runs behind Bryan Reynolds. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the team make a move for an arm, considering the Pirates have a pool of talent large enough in the minor leagues to entice any general manager in baseball. The question remains if Huntington will pull the trigger soon enough to save a starting rotation that is at best a gamble and at worst one of the shakiest rotations in the National League. Every offense experiences peaks and valleys of hitting in the Major Leagues.

Pittsburgh last reached the postseason in 2015, where they lost to the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card game at PNC Park. Commenting with the intent to annoy other posters or to start arguments in bad faith are not welcome. If you think you’re violating this rule, reread your post and think it over a moment before hitting the submit button. Trolling/Brigading opposing team subs gives all Pirates fans a bad name and will result in a Permanent ban. The Pittsburgh Pirates are listed at +20000 to win the World Series, which ranks as the 26th-best odds.

They won again in 1971 behind Roberto Clemente, the first Latin-American enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and in 1979 under the leadership of Willie Stargell. Former first overall pick Henry Davis will get his chance to be the full-time catcher after playing 62 games in 2023. If he can find a spark in his first full season, it could be what the Pirates need to make some unexpected noise.

The Pirates broadcast the first ever baseball game over the radio on August 5, 1921. KDKA’s 50,000-watt clear channel enabled Pirates fans across the eastern half of North America at night to hear the games. PNC Park is located near several major highways and parking is available in the blocks around the ballpark. Fans can also walk to the stadium from downtown Pittsburgh via the Clemente Bridge, or take Pittsburgh Light Rail to the system’s North Side station, located just outside the stadium’s home plate entrance. The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh.

I like the value of the Pirates and the pitching edge, which I believe gives them an edge over NL Central opponents like the Reds, Cubs, and Cardinals down the stretch. I played the Buccos to make the postseason at +530 odds and would go down to +300. The red-hot Detroit Tigers are slight underdogs against one of the top teams in the American League in the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards but FanDuel’s research page gives Detroit a 57% chance of winning. A tight race also applies to the American League with less than 10 games to go in the regular season. Instead of two players in the mix like in the National League, there are three players in strong position in the A.L. The last day on the schedule is next Sunday with the playoffs starting two days later.

The longest-tenured broadcasters are play-by-play announcer Greg Brown and analyst Bob Walk, both of whom joined the broadcast booth in 1994. Games are televised on SportsNet Pittsburgh, the Pirates’ cable television outlet since 1986, when it was known as KBL. The network is majority owned by Fenway Sports Group, owners of the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Penguins.