PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates aren't playing in October in 2026, something they desperately want to change in 2027.
The Pirates came much closer to postseason contention than in previous years, but still fell short, finishing 82-80 this year.
It was still a winning season for the Pirates, their first since 2018 and the fifth in the past 34 seasons, including an 11-win improvement from 2025.
The Pirates can make the playoffs next season, but compared to the teams left in the postseason, there's one thing missing.
Pirates Must Improve Bullpen in 2027
If there's one thing this postseason is making clear, especially in the Championship Series, it's how important it is to have a bullpen ready to go at any moment and to take on big chunks of a game.
Starting pitchers for all four teams, Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays in the American League and Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League, have not gone far, and managers have gone early to their bullpen.
The strategy is to give your team the best chance to win any game, and you can't afford to let a starting pitcher figure things out, potentially giving up a ton of runs as a result.
Milwaukee and Los Angeles have each gone early to the bullpen, especially in Game 2 at American Family Field on Oct. 12, with Logan Henderson (Milwaukee) throwing four innings and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Los Angeles) not making it out of the third inning.
It was similar in Game 1, with Tarik Skubal (Dodgers) going five innings and NL Cy Young Award hopeful Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers) throwing just 4.1 innings.
The Brewers' bullpen has been great in this series, allowing just two earned runs over 13.2 innings, a 1.32 ERA.
All four teams had some of the best bullpens in baseball, ranking in the top 10 for ERA (aside from Tampa Bay), WHIP and BAA.
Pittsburgh had bullpen issues for most of the season, with their 19 blown saves the ninth-most in baseball by the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
The Pirates' margin for error is too small to mess about with, and they have to do everything they can to ensure their bullpen is strong for Opening Day.
Can Pirates Fix Bullpen for 2027?
The Pirates had one of the better bullpens following the trade deadline and will have two key acquisitions for next season.
Lake Bachar (Miami Marlins) was a strong middle reliever and served as a spot starter for a large portion of his time with the Pirates last season, while Luke Weaver (New York Mets) should serve as the setup man and eighth inning guy.
The Pirates also have some strong returners, a few of whom made big improvements in 2026.
Left-hander Mason Montgomery became the best relief pitcher in baseball in the final two months of the season, allowing runs in just one appearance, becoming the Pirates' shutdown closer.
Yohan Ramírez was excellent in whatever role the Pirates asked of him, and the right-hander, despite some erraticness, was dominant and baffled opposing hitters.
Carmen Mlodzinski doesn't have a defined role yet, but he's been great in the bullpen in his career and would do much of the same if asked to do the same in 2027.
The Pirates need more high-leverage arms, both a left-hander and a right-hander, which they should be able to find in free agency or on the trade market.
Pittsburgh does have other pitchers that they can use in bulk: rookies in right-handers Khristian Curtis, Wilber Dotel and Antwone Kelly, plus left-hander Hunter Barco, although these pitchers will want a starting role in the future.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington and the front office must address this problem for next season, as the bullpen already has some key players, but just needs some bolstering.
The Pirates have a strong, young starting rotation and a solid lineup, especially when their key players are healthy.
A great bullpen can support that rotation and that lineup, giving the Pirates the best chance for a spot in the postseason and success when they are there.
If Pittsburgh doesn't make bullpen additions, they'll likely end up in the situation they had earlier this season, with arms regressing and no suitable replacements when certain players have slumps.
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