The Pirates started off the season with a typical bummer after losing to the Mets 11-7 on Thursday afternoon. 

Going into the game, the Pittsburgh Pirates were expected to come out more competitively after signing new batters to go with their pitching. They raised their budget to around $100 million after it was only $85 million the year prior. 

With those new batters, many expect the Pirates to become better than they have been recently. After the game against New York, many may be reconsidering.

Pirates young star Paul Skenes was pulled out of the game in the first inning after only 37 pitches and five runs allowed. Though this was a rough showing on Skenes’ part, the issue was Oneil Cruz’s laughable mistakes in the outfield. 

Cruz is a great batter and he led the league in stolen bases in 2025, so his offense is one of the best in the league. But he has not gotten the job on defense the past few years. The Pirates should consider moving his position on defense to an easier or less important spot. 

Even though it was a rough first game, newly acquired second baseman Brandon Lowe hit two home runs in his Pirates debut. He was acquired in December from the Tampa Bay Rays. New right fielder Ryan O’Hearn also had a home run for Pittsburgh.

Other players who had a decent game included Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales.

The Pirates’ pitching was oddly off. Not only did Skenes pitch badly, but so did almost every pitcher who pitched for the Pirates. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates are off to an ugly start, but it was only the first game of the season. They have the roster to pull it together and will likely be a decent team in the MLB this year, though their roof is likely a first-round playoff loss.