The Pittsburgh Pirates might not be a playoff team this year, but the team still has a chance to finish the session with a winning record. The Pitching deserves a lot of credit for the success of this season.
The Pirates set a new franchise record for strikeouts in a season with 1,444, after right-handed pitcher Lake Bachar struck out St. Louis Cardinals Alec Burleson in the top of the first inning of the 5-1 loss at PNC Park on Sept. 23. Pittsburgh eclipsed its previous record (1,443), set in 2019 with four games left, and should easily add to it before 2026 ends.
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The Pirates had a deep rotation this year, 30 different pitchers recorded a strikeout this season. The 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes leads the Pirates with 200 for the second straight season.
Braxton Ashcraft came in second with 173 and rookie Bubba Chandler coming right behind him with 138. Even with some injuries Mitch Keller and Jared Jones had a good season coming in fourth and fifth in strikeouts.
Mason Montgomery (102) and Yohan Ramirez (99) lead relief pitchers. Left-handed pitcher Gregory Soto is in third place with 79 strikeouts, while the other eight pitchers have fluctuated between the major leagues and minor leagues.
The Pirates had five pitchers who were with the team this season, but are no longer a part of the club.
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The strong pitching is a really promising sign for the future in Pittsburgh. A lot of the top pitchers on the team right now are young guys like Pauk Skenes, Bubba Chandler and Jared Jones.
The Bucs breaking their own record this year is a great start and you can tell that the future is incredibly bright for the club in the Steel City.
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