The Pirates' losing streak hits eight after their July 13 game vs. the Twins. As Oneil Cruz & Bryan Reynolds struggle, can the 2025 MLB Draft save the season?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
For Pittsburgh Pirates fans, Sunday brought a familiar, frustrating feeling as the team battled the Minnesota Twins, mired in a season-worst eight-game losing streak. But as the major league club struggles to find its footing, the organization's entire focus pivots this evening to the future, with Day 1 of the 2025 MLB Draft offering a crucial injection of hope and a chance to build the foundation for a winner.
We're committed to building a sustainable winner by focusing on drafting the best available talent.
The Pirates entered Sunday's matinee against the Twins at Target Field with a dismal 38-58 record, desperately needing a win to stop the bleeding. While the final score was still pending as of this writing, the context was bleak. The team's offensive leaders, Oneil Cruz (16 HR) and Bryan Reynolds (10 HR), have shown power but have struggled with consistency, hitting just .209 and .225 respectively. Even the steady presence of veteran Andrew McCutchen (.256 AVG, .337 OBP) hasn't been enough to turn the tide. Facing a Twins team fresh off seeing Byron Buxton hit for the cycle only highlighted the gap between a contender and the currently struggling Bucs.
The real main event for the Pirates organization kicks off at 6 p.m. ET. Assistant GM Steve Horowitz has been clear about the team's philosophy: take the best player available, regardless of position or current trends. This approach, which integrates advanced data with traditional scouting, is how the team landed recent high-upside picks like Konnor Griffin. Tonight is a critical test of that strategy and a chance to add another potential franchise-altering talent to the system. For a team struggling at the MLB level, the draft represents the most tangible path back to contention.
While fans wait for tonight's picks, the current farm system offers a mixed bag. The pitching pipeline remains a strength, with names like Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft, and Thomas Harrington showing promise. However, a significant concern is the lack of impactful hitters in the upper levels of the minors. Tellingly, the Pirates have not graduated a single Top 30 prospect to the majors in 2025. This gap underscores the importance of not only hitting on their draft picks but also developing them effectively, particularly on the offensive side, to support the big-league club in the coming seasons.
While the on-field results are tough to stomach, today is a stark reminder of the Pirates' dual reality. The immediate goal is to snap this skid and find a spark. The long-term, and arguably more important, event is the draft. Who the Pirates select tonight will be a topic of discussion for years to come, hopefully as a cornerstone of the 'sustainable winner' the front office is so focused on building. For now, fans are left to watch, wait, and hope that the pain of the present is truly building a better future.
