NEW YORK — As a foul tip from the bat of Oneil Cruz found the glove of Yankees catcher Jose Trevino, the Pirates’ 2024 campaign came to a close. Derek Shelton’s club finished with a record of 76-86, identical to the year prior.
Seven months ago, when the Pirates arrived in Bradenton, Fla., for the start of Spring Training, the expectations were made clear. This group expected to compete. The goal, as many said, was to make a push for the postseason. But rather than giving Pittsburgh its first taste of playoff baseball since 2015, the city was instead handed another last-place finish in the National League Central.
The past 162 games produced plenty of highs and even more lows. Some questions were answered, while others surfaced and remain heading into the offseason. With the journey now complete, it’s time to take one final review. Here is the Post-Gazette’s report card for the Pirates’ 2024 season.
STARTING PITCHING: B
September grade: C+
Viewed as the questioned weakness of the team at the start of the season, the Pirates’ starting pitching was by far its biggest strength from start to finish in 2024. Leading the charge was, of course, rookie phenom Paul Skenes, who ended his historic first big league season with an 11-3 record and 1.96 ERA over 133 innings in his 23 starts. Skenes was not only the biggest story for the Pirates but one of the most talked about players in baseball this year. But he was far from their only notable success on the mound. Fellow rookie Jared Jones led the charge out of the gate, capturing the attention of many in April before Skenes arrived. Bailey Falter and Luis Ortiz both took sizable steps forward, the latter working his way from long relief into the rotation.
Mitch Keller’s numbers weren’t as strong as last year’s due to another poor finish, but his overall body of work was still above league average. From May through June, he was one of the best pitchers in baseball. The Pirates rotation entered the All-Star break with MLB's third-best ERA (3.52) and ninth-best WAR (8.2). The back half of the season, however, was not great, finishing in the bottom third of the league in both categories.
Jones and Falter experienced second-half regressions due to injury. Keller, as mentioned above, once again failed to pitch at a high level in August and September. Veteran offseason acquisitions Martin Perez and Marco Gonzales were both gone by September and provided little value of note before their respective departures. Simply put, the rotation ran out of gas. Despite the sour finish, it’s hard not to feel optimistic about this group moving forward. With Johan Oviedo slated to return in 2025, along with three Top 100 prospects ready and waiting in Triple-A, the Pirates should be in the conversation for one of the best rotations in baseball next year. 2024 was good, hence the B, but the best is yet to come.
BULLPEN: D
September grade: C+
For as surprisingly good as the starting rotation was, the bullpen was equally disappointing. Entering the year, the Pirates expected their stable of relievers to be among the game’s best. But that vision never came to fruition. A plethora of injuries throughout spring training set the table for a full season of inconsistency, most notably losing Dauri Moreta to Tommy John.
David Bednar began the year in a funk, then found his footing, only to lose it again due to another injury and never recover. The two-time All-Star experienced his worst year in the big leagues in 2024, finishing 3-8 with a 5.77 ERA, resulting in him losing his role as the club’s closer in early September. Colin Holderman had a strong season for all but one week, but that week was arguably the worst seven-day stretch any big leaguer had this year, costing his team four games and sparking a 10-game losing streak in August that would ultimately bring an end to their postseason aspirations.
Aroldis Chapman was good, but not worth the $10.5 million the Pirates paid him. Youngsters Carmen Mlodzinski and Kyle Nicolas both showed promise but also had their share of growing pains. The same could be said for rookie Hunter Stratton, who ended his season with an ugly knee injury in late August. The bullpen’s greatest success story in 2024 belonged to Dennis Santana, who after coming over from the Yankees in June, finished the year with a 2.44 ERA over 44 ⅓ innings (39 games).
While the Pirates bullpen was bad, it was not the worst part of this year’s team. However, a lack of depth made this group a bigger problem than a solution. Too often was the bullpen responsible for squandering a well-pitched game by a Pirates’ starter. When the rotation ran out of gas in August, the relievers were unable to pick up the slack. The Pirates enter the offseason with a handful of pieces in their bullpen, but more than a few additions must be made for this part of the team to perform at the level it needs to in 2025.
CATCHERS: C
September grade: C
While the franchise’s two standout prospects — Henry Davis and Endy Rodriguez — had no impact at the big league level, the Pirates managed to get league-average play behind the plate thanks to their acquisitions of Joey Bart and Yasmani Grandal.
The former arrived in April in a trade with the Giants. Although Bart struggled to stay on the field, dealing with multiple injuries this season, he was productive when available, ending 2024 with 13 home runs and a .799 OPS. Grandal, meanwhile, played a big role in the pitching staff's success, establishing himself as Skenes’ personal catcher. His bat continued to heat up as the year progressed as well, finishing the season with a .704 OPS, a fine mark for a veteran backup.
Though the offensive production was nice, opposing runners had notable success against the Pirates on the base paths. While that doesn’t necessarily fall all on who is behind the plate, it must be fixed in 2025. And on the note of things that need to be better next season, Davis sits at the top of the list after an abysmal 2024 campaign.
Overall, the Pirates should feel OK about their catching group moving forward. Bart’s bat seems to be the real deal, and his defense is good enough to have earned him the starting job heading into spring. Rodriguez and Davis have plenty to prove next year, but between those three, along with Jason Delay, there will be no need to acquire another backstop this winter.
INFIELD: C–
September grade: C–
No group had more of a rollercoaster season than the infield. Connor Joe started the first six weeks as the team’s best hitter and fell completely off the map for the remainder of the year. Rowdy Tellez went from public enemy No. 1 to fan favorite to getting designated for assignment in the final week. Jared Triolo won the starting job at second base out of spring training but lost it to Nick Gonzales in May.
Gonzales was arguably the infield’s most consistent hitter this season unless we count Oneil Cruz, who was moved from shortstop to center field in late August. Cruz’s time in the infield came to an end due to his high volume of errors. But while he struggled in the field, the 6-foot-7 slugger showed promise at the plate, mashing 21 homers and stealing 22 bases in his first full big league season.
Ke’Bryan Hayes’ 2024 season rivals Davis for the most disappointing on the team. Although his offensive numbers weren’t nearly as bad, recurring back issues prevented the Gold Glover from having any sort of impact and created legitimate questions about his value to the franchise moving forward. Isiah Kiner-Falefa was acquired at the trade deadline and failed to swing the same hot bat he did in Toronto. However, his defensive versatility and veteran wisdom should do the club well next year.
Triolo took over at third base while Hayes was on the injured list. Although his glove is well above average, he has yet to show that he is a capable big-league hitter. The same could be said for Alika Williams, who looks to have little value on the Pirates’ roster now that fellow utility youngsters Nick Yorke and Billy Cook have arrived in the big leagues.
The Pirates infield was far from good in 2024. Its defense was subpar, and its offensive output was inconsistent. While a handful of individuals showed reason to be brought back next year, no spot should be viewed as off-limits in free agency.
OUTFIELD: D–
September grade: D
The Pirates outfield should thank its lucky stars for Bryan Reynolds. Had he not been factored into this equation, this unit would’ve received an F and could fairly be labeled as one of the worst in MLB. As mentioned above, Reynolds was good, like always, finishing the year leading the team in batting average (.275), home runs (24), RBIs (88), runs (73), on-base percentage (.344), OPS (.791), hits (171) and games played (156). His high-end production led him to be named to his second All-Star team. Cruz, in his five weeks as an outfielder, showed he belonged. There is plenty of work to do heading into the offseason, but he looks far more natural in his new spot.
Aside from Reynolds and Cruz, the Pirates’ outfield was a complete and total failure. Michael A. Taylor’s late arrival in spring training set up the worst offensive campaign in his career. While his defense was solid, it wasn’t enough to make up for his terrible production at the plate, leading him to get designated for assignment on the same day as Tellez. Jack Suwinski regressed tremendously in both the field and at the plate, leading him to end the year in Triple-A. Suwinski’s future, similar to Davis, remains a question heading into the offseason.
One player’s future that shouldn’t be questioned is Bryan De La Cruz, whose putrid play upon arrival from Miami after this year’s trade deadline made him a deserving non-tender candidate. And if we’re taking names of those who shouldn’t return, add Ji Hwan Bae to the list after he yet again failed to translate his minor league success over to the major leagues. Feel free to include Edward Olivares as well. Remember him?
This group was well below average — in the field, at the plate and on the bases. The Pirates outfield ended the year with a -1.5 WAR and 77 wRC+, good for second-worst and worst in MLB. Cruz makes the unit better in center field. However, right and left field have to be areas of focus in the offseason. Suwinski can be expected to platoon in one of those spots, but the Pirates need better defense and better power production from their corner outfielders. It won’t come cheap, but a sizable investment — cough cough, Tyler O’Neill, cough cough — would go a very long way.
DESIGNATED HITTER: B–
September grade: C+
The old man still has it, folks. While Andrew McCutchen does not like that aforementioned title, he should enjoy the upcoming praise he will receive. McCutchen was far from the best designated hitter in baseball this year, but he was also far from the worst. His move to the leadoff spot in May provided a much-needed spark for the entire lineup. His ability to hit for power filled a big need, finishing with 20 homers for the ninth time in his career and the first time since 2021.
When McCutchen was on the shelf, either due to injury or rest, Cruz, Reynolds, and Bart hit well in his place. The Pirates’ designated hitter position ended the year with a 111 wRC+, 12th best in MLB. McCutchen repeatedly went on record to say he hopes to return in 2025. His play should earn him that opportunity. And whenever his body finally tells him to call it quits, the spot will be ready and waiting for Reynolds to take over.
BENCH: B
September grade: B
The Pirates’ bench had a quietly strong season in 2024. Offensively, the Pirates pinch hitters batted .243, fourth best in MLB. Their 98 wRC+ ranked eighth best in MLB and fourth best in the National League. Utility men such as Triolo, Williams, and at times, Taylor, provided valuable defense in the form of a late-game substitution. Grandal, as mentioned earlier, was a solid backup catcher. Led by a manager who loves his versatility, the Pirates should have an even better bench in 2025 with Cook and Yorke in the mix.
COACHING: D+
September grade: D
The moment you’ve all been waiting for. The coaching staff’s grade has remained the most contested part of these monthly report cards. While most people reading this believe Shelton and his staff deserve a failing grade, this writer disagrees.
Let’s start with the good. The pitching group had more than a few wins, at least with the starters, anyway. Jones, Falter, and Ortiz developed well. The organization’s plan for Skenes could not have gone any better, setting him up for a 2024 Rookie of the Year award and putting him on track to be full-go in 2025. Certain strategy moves worked out well, such as McCutchen’s move to the leadoff spot and the decision to give Nicolas, Mlodzinski and Santana a larger workload throughout the summer. However, as with most other areas on this report card, the bad outweighed the good.
Once again, there were team-wide issues at the plate and in the bullpen. Those areas must improve drastically in 2025 if this team hopes to make a serious push for the playoffs, which might require changes. Shelton managed his worst games in early August, which coincidentally was the most consequential part of the season. However, as noted before, a large chunk of this team’s shortcomings fall far beyond the coaching staff. This roster was simply not good enough. After six straight losing seasons, five taking place under this current regime, numerous coaches will likely be let go in the coming weeks. That could include Shelton.
Though the logic might be there to relieve Shelton of his duties, a new face and voice won’t fix all of this team’s problems. There must be changes in philosophy. However, until better players are added and developed, the new coaching will have little impact. The Pirates’ 2024 staff was not great, but considering what they were given to work with, who would be?
First Published: September 30, 2024, 2:14 p.m.
Updated: October 1, 2024, 1:40 a.m.
