Brewers won 103 games to the Pirates' 82, yet the run-scoring gap was just 65 (832 vs. 767). The real split came on defense: Milwaukee allowed 618 runs, Pittsburgh 739. Pirates' offense improved; pitching is now the bigger problem. 🔍
Zander Mueth, the Pirates' 2023 second-round pick ($1.8M), has a 22.09 ERA in the Arizona Fall League: 10 walks in 3 2/3 innings over five outings. He's still at Low-A Bradenton, and the development questions keep piling up. 🚩
Brandon Lowe, a free agent this offseason, is a first-time Gold Glove finalist after going from -10 to +12 in fielding run value. He also hit 35 homers with 96 RBIs. Jared Triolo is a finalist again too. Winners are announced Sunday. 🥇
Wyatt Sanford, PBN's No. 5 Pirates prospect, went from glove-first shortstop to real bat: .292/.423/.551, 17 HR and 33-for-34 on steals at High-A Greensboro. He's trimmed his strikeouts to 20% in the AFL. Double-A Altoona likely awaits. ⚾
Brewers' eight two-out runs in World Series Game 3 began with a replay challenge that saved Yelich at second. GM Ben Cherington has preached smarter, fundamentally sound baseball, and Milwaukee's rally shows the Pirates what that looks like. 🎯
Jim Bowden of The Athletic predicts Brandon Lowe will land a three-year, $45 million deal, with the Pirates listed among his best fits. That looks light for a 35-homer, 96-RBI second baseman, and Pittsburgh reportedly plans a $23.15 million qualifying offer. 💰
Brandon Lowe, the Pirates' 2026 Roberto Clemente Award nominee, led the club with 35 homers and 96 RBI and pledged $250 per homer to mental health programs. Lindor won the award, and Lowe's looming free agency leaves Pittsburgh with a real decision. 🤝
Pirates' offseason to-do list: re-sign Brandon Lowe (35 HR, a franchise single-season record), add a right-handed bat like Isaac Paredes, and consider a lefty starter such as Foster Griffin. Coming off 82 wins, standing pat isn't an option. 🎯
Cooper Pratt's go-ahead seventh-inning RBI single gave the Brewers a 2-0 World Series lead. His $50.75M extension, signed before his debut, mirrors Konnor Griffin's $140M Pirates deal. Lesson for Pittsburgh: the extension is the starting line, not the finish. 🏁
Brewers' relievers just shut down the Rays for six scoreless innings in a World Series Game 2 win, a reminder for Pittsburgh. The Pirates' bullpen improved after the deadline (3.49 ERA vs. 4.34), but Cherington still has 2027 work to do.
Brandon Lowe, a soon-to-be free agent coming off 35 homers and a 121 wRC+, could cost enough that the Pirates might need to move Mitch Keller ($18.4M) or Bryan Reynolds ($15.25M) to afford him. Keller reportedly looks the easier call. 💰
Paul Skenes' ERA nearly doubled from 1.96 through 2025 to 3.86 in 2026, though he still made the All-Star team and struck out 200. Possible bounce-back signs: he's done it before and has a full offseason. Cy Young form in 2027 is the open question. 🎯
Axiel Plaz ranks No. 6 on PBN's Pirates prospect list after a South Atlantic League All-Star year at High-A Greensboro: .305/.389/.513, 18 homers, 74 RBI. Trimmed strikeouts (17.2%) and catcher defense stand out. Double-A Altoona may be next. 📈
A Pirates fan watched the Rays eliminate Cleveland in the ALCS and flashed back to Game 5 of the 2013 NLDS, when the Pirates lost at St. Louis after missing a chance to close out the series at PNC Park. The piece treats that night as a postseason touchstone. 🎭
Paul Skenes earned $1.085 million in 2026, making him the lowest-paid member of the MLBPA's eight-player executive subcommittee. He's fighting a hard cap to protect a big payday, though the Pirates must still show they'll pay it. 💰
The Pirates see 2027 as their best shot to contend, but a lockout expected to begin December 1 could stall offseason moves, like the Brandon Lowe decision and rotation fixes, or even threaten the season. The salary cap remains the sticking point. ⏳
Easton Carmichael ranks No. 7 on PBN's Pirates prospect list. The catcher hit .305 with 16 homers at Greensboro, then slipped to .244 after the Altoona promotion. Improving there is the key for 2027, and he's expected to stay behind the plate.
A writer argues the Pirates, who lacked a lefty starter in 2026, should target Patrick Sandoval in free agency. His 5.12 ERA looks ugly, but his 3.77 FIP and solid exit-velocity numbers make him a possible rebound candidate for the back of the rotation. 🔍
Mitch Keller's rough 2026 (6.17 ERA from May 1 on, then an August IL stint with a right arm teres major injury) leaves the Pirates in a bind: sell low or keep paying him $18M+ in 2027. The window to sell high has closed. 📉
The MLBPA's opening CBA proposal would expand revenue sharing to guarantee small-market clubs $240M in annual revenue, but tax teams under $150M in payroll. The Pirates' record ~$102M Opening Day payroll would fall about $48M short. Bob Nutting's excuses get thinner. 📉
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