The Pittsburgh Pirates welcome the Texas Rangers to PNC Park on June 20 with hopes of pulling off a statement win against the reigning World Series champions, though they face an uphill battle given the current trajectory of their season. Sitting below .500 and outside of serious playoff contention, the Pirates have endured another rebuilding year filled with youthful promise, inconsistent execution, and flashes of competitiveness that make them a dangerous but unpredictable opponent. Manager Don Kelly continues to mix veteran leadership with young talent, most notably with the presence of Andrew McCutchen, whose bat has remained steady and whose clubhouse impact is invaluable. Meanwhile, Oneil Cruz has provided the team’s biggest source of power, clubbing 13 home runs so far and giving the Pirates a dangerous left-handed presence in the middle of the lineup. While Pittsburgh’s offense has been streaky, they’ve shown the ability to manufacture runs in spurts, especially at home, where they are more comfortable playing small ball and relying on situational hitting to stay in games. The biggest concern for the Pirates remains their bullpen, which has blown multiple late leads this season and ranks near the bottom of the National League in save percentage and ERA after the sixth inning. That vulnerability is compounded when they fall behind early, as they lack the high-leverage arms needed to hold tight leads or claw back from deficits against experienced teams like Texas. Statistically, Pittsburgh is just 5–10 ATS in games where they are priced as +157 underdogs or longer, showing a struggle to cover spreads in matchups where they are heavily outclassed on paper.

However, they’ve made a habit of playing scrappy and frustrating more talented opponents, often leaning on defensive fundamentals and patience at the plate to keep contests within reach. Friday’s game will likely hinge on their starter’s ability to navigate Texas’s dangerous top of the order without giving up early crooked numbers, as the Pirates simply don’t have the firepower to come back from large deficits with regularity. Defensively, Pittsburgh has made strides, cutting down on errors and improving their outfield positioning, but they still lack consistency across the infield, where double-play opportunities are often missed due to errant throws or slow pivots. The Pirates need their best version to show up Friday: one that jumps on mistakes, steals extra bases, and puts pressure on the Rangers through smart, aggressive play. If McCutchen can set the tone early and Cruz can find a mistake pitch to drive, they’ll have a path to an upset, especially if their bullpen can string together a rare clean outing. While expectations may be modest, Pittsburgh has proven capable of hanging with better teams for six or seven innings, and if they catch the Rangers looking ahead or stumble into a pitching mismatch, the Pirates could turn this into one of their signature gritty wins. Ultimately, for Pittsburgh to succeed, they must limit Texas to three runs or fewer and play mistake-free baseball—an achievable but difficult task against one of the league’s most disciplined and balanced rosters.