By: Jacob Kubick

Photo by: Jacob Kubick

With the All-Star break looming over the 30 MLB teams in the league, that means that the postseason is just about 3 months away and is time to make a push to become a part of the midsummer classic this season.

Some teams are sitting comfortably atop their divisions, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, and the Houston Astros. Others have some serious catching up to do if they just want to be a wild card team, let alone a division winner, such as the Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, and Kansas City Royals, just to name a few. However, there are teams that are within striking distance for both the division and wild card. A team that falls under the previous category is the hometown team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

At the time this article is was written, the Pirates are tied for 4th in the National League Central division with the Cincinnati Reds, both with 36 wins and 41 losses. 77 games into the season, the Pirates have exactly the same record as they did 77 games into the season last season, and the team finished with a 82-79 record and finished 4th in the NL Central Division. So does this sound the alarm bells for the team that the playoffs are a near impossibility, or does this mean that a playoff push is imminent?

The season is said to have peaks and valleys throughout the year, and the Pirates without question have had their fair share of peaks and valleys already this season. Just 2 weeks ago, the Pirates were in the midst of a 7 game losing streak, and now the Pirates have rebounded, winning their 6 of their last 9 games, including an impressive sweep of the San Diego Padres at home this past weekend.

“I think this has been an interesting season,” said Meghan Macioce, a 21-year-old Social Media coordinator from Murrysville PA. “May was really fun to watch because of guys like Josh Bell, Cole Tucker, and Bryan Reynolds. Bell deserved to have the breakout season that he’s having and I love watching young prospects have a shot at the major leagues.”

Obviously, the 2 seasons are not the same when they are compared. Last year Josh Bell was in somewhat of a slump, and this year he leads the league in runs batted in and is nearly being voted into this year’s All-Star Game as the 1st base starter. Last year the starting rotation was lights out but the offense was lacking, and this year the offense is putting up amazing numbers, but the starting rotation has been somewhat lackluster due to poor outings as well as injuries.

“The Pirates’ offense has been incredible this year!” said Allison Schubert, a 21-year-old media relations intern for the Pittsburgh Pirates from Butler PA. “Even though they currently have a losing record, their offense has been insane so far this season, especially from the rookies!”

In terms of whether or not the Pirates will make playoffs, Dan Hart a 45-year-old director of media relations for the Pittsburgh Pirates from Evans City PA said that “Baseball is the greatest reality show on TV with no script. One day you feel like you have no chance, but then the next day your chances may increase. That’s the beauty of the game!” Hart later said, “The best thing about this game is that you could win 3 games in a row and not feel like you are going to the World Series, and we could lose 5 in a row, and feel like it isn’t the end of the season. The goal is just to stay even”

Macioce also expressed her opinion on her hopes for the fate of the Pirates’ season, and for most Pirates’ fans, it’s not what they want to hear.

“I don’t want to say it but I feel as if we’ll miss the playoffs again” Macioce said. “We play in one of the toughest divisions and we never play well against the Cubs and Brewers recently. The Cards and Reds are no laughing joke either. However, I think the Cubs, Brewers, and the Cards are a little deeper in their bullpens and they have more consistent hitters on their team that will help lift them past the Bucs for a postseason run.”

Schubert’s insight into the fate of the Pirates’ season provides a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

“I’m an optimist, so I think the Pirates will make the postseason via a wildcard spot, but I don’t think they’ll make it very far after making it that far.”