Tim Benz: A completely logical, totally achievable wish list for the 2025 Pirates

Last year, I ended up being a little too optimistic in my projection for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The BetRivers over-under win total was 78.5. I had them at 81 wins. They came in under with 76.

I’m not going to allow myself to be disappointed again. This year BetRivers’ over-under win total is 77.5.

I’m going under. I’ve got the Pirates finishing between 70-75 wins this year. At most.

But, hey, a boy can dream. Right? So here’s my wish list for the Pirates’ 2025 campaign to make the season more enjoyable and perhaps more competitive.

And I don’t think any of these suggestions are asking too much.

• Keep Paul Skenes healthy. I know that’s not something the Pirates have all that much control over. But this is a wish list, and that’s my biggest wish. This is my Red Ryder BB gun. At least once every five days there will be a reason to attend or watch a game on television so long as Skenes is healthy.

• Host “Ayahuasca Night” at PNC Park the first home game after Aaron Rodgers signs with the Steelers. That’ll do something for crowd engagement.

Have Rodgers throw out the first pitch, let him shake off the catcher three or four times. Let Arthur Smith know how things are going to be around here moving forward.

• I wish for Skenes to get even better. That may seem like a huge ask, but with his ceiling and potential, it isn’t.

After what we saw from the Rookie of the Year in his first season as Pirate, it’s understandable to wonder if that was as good as anyone can be. However, given what flashes he showed in just his first tour through the big leagues, if Skenes can figure out a way to get even better earlier in counts, earlier in games, and earlier in innings he’s going to be even more dominant than what he was a season ago.

Lead-off batters in games hit .348 against Skenes. In the first inning of games, Skenes allowed more hits (18), a higher OPS (.618), and a higher batting average-against than the next seven innings.

In the first inning of games, his batting average-against was .242. Overall, it was .198. Five of the 10 homers he allowed were on the first pitch. His batting average-against on 0-1 counts was .382; after that count it was .197. His batting average-against on 1-0 counts was .304. After that count, it was .191.

If you want to know how Skenes may be able to unlock a way to get even better, there you go.

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• Pitt loses 3 more scholarship players, including the Diaz Graham twins
• Tim Benz: Paul Skenes is right. The Pirates owe the city more. Time to pay up

• Get Bubba Chandler up as soon as he’s ready, not when the calendar says so. Especially if Jared Jones can’t get back into the rotation in top form.

• Before Skenes’ first home start, we need Livvy Dunne to match the Shin Soo-ji ceremonial first pitch from the Korean League a decade ago. As an LSU gymnast, she can figure it out.

• Find positions for guys and keep them there. Watching this team fill out a lineup card is like beer league softball or Little League.

“John, Frank and Jim didn’t show up today, huh? Well, OK. Billy, you played first base once last year. So you go there today. Tom, can you make the throw from third base? And Al, sorry, you have to catch today.”

Multi-position functionality is an obsession for this front office. All I know is that the shortstop now plays centerfield, the right fielder used to play left field, and he almost tried first base.

A utility guy is going to play shortstop. Most of the team may be best at second base. No one can play first base. They’ve got a good glove at third base, but he’s always hurt.

They don’t seem to want any of their young catchers to catch, and the 38-year-old right-handed designated hitter can’t play anywhere.

Aside from that, everything is totally clear.

• If they can’t figure out Ke’Bryan Hayes’ back, figure out his swing when he is healthy. He’s the one guy who has a steady position in the field out of that jumble, and it’s usually a power position at third base. He’s got to slug better than .290 with four homers.

• Offer those new “Polish cannonballs” in the press dining area. Egg noodles, kielbasa, cabbage, bacon, cheddar cheese? Are you kidding me? I’m buying.

• Find a closer. This team doesn’t win enough to blow late saves. The Pirates bullpen only converted 60% of its saves (24th in MLB). They blew 29 saves, tied for third most. Those weren’t all from closers, but you see the issue.

Don’t spin it to sound like closer-by-committee is a design or an intention. Find somebody in that bullpen who can seize the job. If it’s not David Bednar, and it’s Dennis Santana or Colin Holderman or someone else, so be it.

Play “Renegade” in the eighth inning. What’s the difference? Or we can wait until the Steelers’ season starts to hear it.

• Make more contact. Cut down on the swing and miss.

The Pirates had the fourth-most strikeouts in Major League Baseball last season with 1,506. They were 25th in home runs with 152. They were 27th in slugging percentage at .371.

The team’s OPS in late-close games was .636 (25th in the league). In those situations, the Pirates’ 199 strikeouts were the most in the National League and second most in baseball. Their 13 homers (in 631 at-bats) were 24th.

Simply put, the Pirates don’t have enough power bats to swing for the fences as much as they do.

• Find a position player who is as entertaining as a mop-up reliever as Rowdy Tellez was. Because, Lord knows, the Pirates will need one a few times this year.

LISTEN: Tim Benz and beat writer Kevin Gorman of TribLIVE preview the 2025 Pirates