The Pittsburgh Pirates have failed once again. The team will miss out on the postseason for the 11th straight year. This comes despite the fact that the pitching staff was supposed to be stout all year long. The 2026 Buccos had their chances; but, ultimately, it wasn’t good enough. One person that deserves some significant blame for the unfortunate outcome is general manager Ben Cherington. The executive was hired in 2019, but has yet to even lead the club to the playoffs. Ironically, the 2018 campaign — prior to his arrival — was the last time the Pirates were able to finish above .500.
That could soon change for Pittsburgh, even though the team has no chance of competing deep into October. On Tuesday, the Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals thanks to an incredible outing from Jared Jones. The starting pitcher chucked 7.0 scoreless innings and only allowed one hit. The offense was able to squeeze across two runs in the victory.
This gave the organization 80 wins on the year to 77 losses. With five contests remaining, all Don Kelly’s group need to do is go 2-3 to finish above .500. In a truly sad manner, it would be just the fifth time the franchise accomplishes that feat since 1993.
Pirates Longing To Experience Former Success
Pirates fans were on top of the world in 2013 when the group finished 94-68. From that year through 2015, the ball club would make the playoffs.
It has been extremely dry since, though. Now, after being hired in 2019 to fix the consistency issue, Cherington is just getting ready to potentially have a campaign with more wins than losses.
Pirates History Could Repeat Itself Despite Respectable Season
Neal Huntington is the predecessor to Cherington. He received a lot of credit for helping get the team to the playoffs for three straight years over a decade ago. In 2018, the collective finished 82-79, but ownership still fired the then-general manager. Cherington could now be in the same boat. He made some good moves in the 2025 offseason — like trading for Brendan Lowe — but the end result is not going to be the desired one.
Let this sink in, though: Cherington could be just the second leader of the Pirates’ front office to experience a year above .500 since 1993. That is shocking, sad, and fascinating all in one. That doesn’t mean, however, that his job is safe. The best course of action could absolutely be hiring a new to be person in charge.
Pittsburgh Needs To Back Up Its Previous Words
Owner Bob Nutting was clear during the most recent offseason that the goal was to win and make the playoffs. The team could accomplish one of those feats if it finishes above .500. The other one, however, is not relevant. The Pirates are missing the postseason once again. If that was truly the definition of success, then Cherington could be on his way out.
Sometimes, a new voice and mind with ideas is what is necessary. That is the exact spot that Nutting might be in. There could be an upcoming lockout, but the goal should be to assess every department of the organization regardless. That could start with Cherington even if the Pirates win at least two of their final five games.
Pirates On Pace For A First In The Ben Cherington Era