Cincinnati didn’t luck into relevance — it built it, brick by brick, while the Pirates kept waiting for theirs to magically arrive. The Reds spent 2025 doing what every small-market team claims to want: making baseball feel urgent again. They gave fans a reason to plan their nights around first pitch, and the results showed up everywhere, in TV ratings, ticket sales, and a ballpark that finally buzzed again.
Their rise wasn’t about reckless spending or chasing headlines. It was about credibility. They hired a proven leader in Terry Francona, added real big-league contributors instead of waiver-wire fliers, and promoted prospects when they’d earned it, then actually let them play.
What the Pirates can’t grasp about the Reds’ TV boom
Cincinnati did it the hard way and the impact was obvious. Local TV viewership jumped 21% in 2025, and attendance hit its highest mark since 2015. You don’t need a top-five payroll to ignite a city; you need a believable product and an organization that acts like October matters.
That’s where the Pirates should be taking notes. Pittsburgh already has what every small-market club dreams of — an ace in Paul Skenes who can redefine a franchise’s rhythm. But he needs to be treated like the foundation of a winning plan, not just the face of a marketing campaign. The Reds built around their core with competence and intent. The Pirates too often build around hope and bargain bins, and fans can feel the difference.
The blueprint isn’t complicated: invest enough to raise the floor, and energy floods in from everywhere. A steadier lineup, dependable bullpen arms, and a manager who commands belief can transform patience into excitement. Cincinnati proved it. When a team signals ambition through its actions, fans show up.
The Pirates don’t need to spend like the Dodgers to change the narrative. They just need to spend with purpose. Add real major-league bats, stop confusing “development” with “delay,” and bring in a dugout voice who sets standards instead of excuses.
Cincinnati just showed how powerful that loop can be belief, investment, and results feeding off each other. Pittsburgh already has the ace and the hunger. The only question is whether the Pirates will finally match their fans’ urgency with action.
Source: RUMBUNTER
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