What seemed like a hopeless and lost season just a few months ago has turned into a glimmer of hope for 2026.
The Pittsburgh Pirates just completed a sweep of the defending World Series champions and N.L. West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
Paul Skenes is on his way to a Cy Young award with a winning record of 10-9 and a season ERA of 1.98 and a career ERA of 1.97. That’s the lowest in MLB history going back over 100 years.
As Bob Pompeani points out, Skenes is 5-0 in his last eight starts at PNC Park with an ERA of 0.36!
Nick Yorke stepped up for a two-run double in the fifth inning to give the Pirates a 5-0 lead.
The Bucs would go on to win 5-3 and are now one game over .500 since Don Kelly took over as the team’s manager.
When it seemed like General Manger Ben Cherington’s time in Pittsburgh was going to be all but over, the Pirates may be saving his job for 2026.
“If I’m Ben Cherington I can make a fairly decent case to Bob Nutting,” said Jason Mackey on the PM Team, adding he still wouldn’t bring back Cherington.
Mackey says if the team gets close to winning 76 games, like last year, (they have to win 12 of their last 21 games, Cherington will have a case to go to the Pirates’ owner and say that Derek Shelton was the problem and that he should keep his job.
Doesn’t mean he’ll keep his job, but he’ll have a stronger argument to stay.
Mackey says that Cherington has at least one more year on his deal, but that doesn’t mean they won’t get rid of him
Cherington can argue he’s had successes Tommy Pham, Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler Konner Griffin, Mike Burrows and more.