2 hours ago 1

Nationals vs. Pirates: A Glimpse Into MLB’s Future

After winning back-to-back series against the Miami Marlins and the Chicago Cubs, the Washington Nationals split a four-game series against the Miami Marlins and have been playing competitive baseball. Daylen Lile and CJ Abrams have played stellar as of late, and we fans are getting to see potentially the future of the Washington pitching staff in this upcoming series against an equal opponent in the Pittsburgh Pirates. With the continuing growth of young talent on both rosters, this should be a series of current bottom-feeders but potentially great teams in the future.

With the potential Cy Young on the roster, the Pittsburgh Pirates have put together another disappointing season. Paul Skenes has become arguably the best pitcher in baseball; however, the talent surrounding him is questionable. The pitching staff as a whole is solid, but the offense is one of the worst in baseball. Pittsburgh has just as many question marks as Washington, and this should make for a rather interesting series.

Let’s dive into the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2025 season.

OFFENSE

The 2025 Pittsburgh Pirates will be remembered for having a horrendous offense. The lineup has talent such as Bryan Reynolds and O’Neil Cruz; however, they are having down seasons compared to prior years. Spencer Horwitz has been one of the best additions for Pittsburgh and has a 103 OPS+. Veterans such as team legend Andrew McCutchen and Tommy Pham have been solid but are not contributing at the level they have in years past. As a team, they are batting .231 (28th), scored 525 runs (30th), hit 104 home runs (30th), have an on-base percentage of .305 (25), and a slugging percentage of .349 (30th).

PITCHING

There is a bright spot for Pittsburgh, and it has been the pitching staff. From the starting rotation to the bullpen, this has been a top ten unit in the sport. Led by National League Cy Young favorite Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller, this starting rotation has been solid at keeping the Pirates in games with no run support. After trading away David Bednar, Bubba Chandler was called up, and even after a rough outing his last time out, he has shown flashes of becoming a star in the rotation. As a team, they have a 3.87 ERA (11th), allowed 138 home runs (3rd), 1.22 WHIP (5th), and teams are batting .237 against them (8th).

GAME ONE - Friday, 6:45 EDT

WAS: RHP Brad Lord (5-8) - 44 G (15 GS), 4.20 ERA, 92 SO, 1.31 WHIP, 99 ERA+

PIT: RHP Mitch Keller (6-14) - 29 G, 4.16 ERA, 136 SO, 1.26 WHIP, 104 ERA+

Brad Lord has been in and out of the rotation and bullpen and has done a solid job contributing in both situations. He has struggled as of late as a starter, but he has shown the ability to get outs during stretches. In just his first year in the big leagues, he has impressed the Washington Nationals and has impressed countless fans, becoming one of the more consistent arms on the roster. In his last start, Lord bounced back in a big way, throwing 5.2 innings and allowing just two hits and one run in a win against the Chicago Cubs.

Mitch Keller has been one of the most consistent pitchers the Pittsburgh Pirates have had over the past four seasons. Keller broke out in 2023, making his first All-Star appearance, and has been solid ever since. He is one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball, an innings eater who is solid at preventing runs. However, in his last seven starts, he has a 5.86 ERA compared to his season ERA of 4.16. In his last start, he threw well against the Milwaukee Brewers, throwing 6.2 innings, and allowed five hits and two runs in a loss.

GAME TWO - Saturday, 4:05 EDT

WAS: LHP Andrew Alvarez (1-0) - 2 G, 1.86 ERA, 6 SO, 0.93 WHIP, 230 ERA+

PIT: RHP Bubba Chandler (2-1) - 4 G (1 GS), 7.36 ERA, 12 SO, 1.50 WHIP, 60 ERA+

Rookie Andrew Alvarez has been everything the Washington Nationals could have hoped for out of a late-season call-up. In two starts, he has been impressive, throwing a 1.86 ERA with a sub-1.00 WHIP. His first start was against the Miami Marlins and was a one-hit shutout to pick up his first MLB win. In his last start, he threw 4.2 innings and allowed three hits and two runs while striking out two batters.

In his first three appearances, rookie Bubba Chandler had been used as a follower and looked pretty solid. He has shown flashes of becoming one of the best pitchers on the roster.

Chandler made his first start against the Milwaukee Brewers, and it went about as poorly as you could have expected. He threw just 2.2 innings and allowed nine runs on nine hits and a blowout loss.

GAME THREE - Sunday, 11:35 EDT

WAS: RHP Cade Cavalli (3-1) - 7 G, 4.67 ERA, 29 SO, 1.47 WHIP, 89 ERA+

PIT: RHP Mike Burrows (2-4) - 20 G (17 GS), 3.99 ERA, 88 SO, 1.24 WHIP, 108 ERA+

Cavalli has missed the past two and a half seasons due to Tommy John surgery and has had an emotional return to the Washington Nationals. Cavalli blew up against the New York Yankees two starts ago, but outside of that outing, Cavalli has become an important asset for the Washington Nationals. In his last start, he threw a quality start, throwing 5 innings and allowing six hits and two runs against the division rival Miami Marlins.

Burrows has an under-the-radar season for Pittsburgh and has provided innings as a starter and in the bullpen. He has played in 20 games and has started 17 of them, and has a sub-4.00 ERA. He has looked stellar in his last three outings, just surrendering two runs over that span. In his last start, he threw four innings and allowed two hits and one run while striking out six batters.

CONCLUSION

This series will mean nothing for the playoff picture, and at this point in the season, wins are a moral boost more than anything. With all of the young talent playing for both teams, this could be a preview of the future for both teams. Washington has franchise cornerstones James Wood and CJ Abrams playing at a high level, while Pittsburgh has Paul Skenes and Bubba Chandler as two future front-line starters. This will be a fun series and not because of the implications but because of the impact these young players will have on their franchise’s future.