The Pittsburgh Pirates boast an intriguing core of young players, but promise doesn’t always equal results. A sluggish start turned into a prolonged struggle as the season wore on. The brightest spot in their youth movement has been Paul Skenes, who recently dominated against the Blue Jays.
Skenes leaned on his four-seam fastball, throwing it 51 times over 96 pitches across six innings. He tied a season-high with 10 whiffs on the pitch, finishing with eight strikeouts. Though he took a no-decision, Henry Davis came through late to secure a 5-2 Pirates victory, according to MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf.
With this season winding down, attention is already shifting to 2025 and beyond. General Manager Ben Cherington has emphasized that the organization’s top priority is building a contender by 2026.
“We’re obviously not where we want to be,” Cherington said of the current state. “Between now and July 31, our focus is finding ways to put ourselves in a better position moving forward — to give the Pirates the best chance to be a winning team in 2026 and beyond. That’s our only goal.”
And when it comes to winning, leadership at the top is critical. One name that has surfaced is former Cubs skipper David Ross.
Ross, a two-time World Series champion, was expected to guide Chicago out of its rebuild, but the Cubs pivoted once Craig Counsell became available. Over four seasons, Ross went 262-284, overseeing the rebuild and leading the Cubs to their first winning campaign since 2019. He also had a brief stint as a player with the Pirates in 2005, as noted by Call to the Pen’s Brandon Glick.
While the Cubs chose experience over Ross, his resume is strong — and the Pirates are in search of someone who can foster growth while instilling a winning mindset. Ross could provide the leadership and stability needed to help Pittsburgh’s young core turn potential into progress.
Source: TheSportingNews
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