It’s the end of July 2026, and the Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t fully dominating the Pittsburgh sports landscape; the Pittsburgh Pirates are saying, “Don’t count us out yet.”
Coming into their Tuesday night, July 28, matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Pirates were 55-52 and tied with the Snakes for the last NL Wild Card spot. In the MLB postseason, the teams that win their divisions automatically make the playoffs, and then there are three Wild Card spots available. Thus, six teams from each league make the MLB postseason.
The Pirates haven’t made the MLB postseason since 2015.
The Pirates are loaded with offensive firepower, with players like Ryan O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe, Bryan Reynolds and rookie sensation Esmerlyn Valdez hitting home runs like nobody’s business.
As the season moves into August, the Pirates fans are closely watching their team to see if maybe, just maybe, 2026 is the year that the Pirates extend their season.
Brandon Lowe (all photos by Marlon Martin)
Tyler Callihan
Esmerlyn Valdez
Pirates fans are excited about these Buccos…
Pirates manager Don Kelly
Pirates fans are believing in this year’s Buccos…
Brandon Lowe interviewed by SportsNet Pittsburgh’s Hannah Mears postgame after the Pirates’ 3-2 win on Monday, July 27, 2026.
All photos by Marlon Martin (pictured above)
