MIAMI -- Another season of Pirates baseball is upon us, a year that will bring highs, lows and individual accomplishments.
With the first game of the 2025 season underway, let¡¯s take a look at nine milestones Pirates players can realistically reach this year, either in context of individual accomplishments or establishing their place in the team record books. Here¡¯s what these players need to do this year:
Andrew McCutchen: 240 home runs as a Pirate (five away)
McCutchen is entering his 17th big league season and his 12th with the Pirates, so he has a couple milestones on the horizon this year. He¡¯s two extra-base hits away from 800 in his career and one run shy of tying Arky Vaughn for 10th all-time with the Pirates (936).
But the biggest milestone for McCutchen is homers as a Pirate. McCutchen currently sits at 235, five shy of Roberto Clemente for the third-most in franchise history (240).
David Bednar: 100 saves as a Pirate (16 away)
Derek Shelton has yet to officially name Bednar the team¡¯s closer, but he¡¯s going to pitch high leverage innings regardless of his role. And if he does end up pitching the ninth, he¡¯s nearing in on select company. Bednar is 16 saves away from 100 in his Pirates career, a feat that only five relievers have accomplished (Roy Face, Kent Tekulve, Mike Williams, Dave Giusti and Mark Melancon).
Oneil Cruz: 20 home runs, 20 steals
Last year, Cruz became the first Pirate to post a 20-20 season since Starling Marte in 2019. Only five Pirates have had multiple 20-20 seasons (Marte, McCutchen, Barry Bonds, Andy Van Slyke and Dave Parker). Cruz could become the sixth.
Tommy Pham: 1,000 career hits (15 away)
Like McCutchen, Pham has a handful of milestones he could reach this season: He¡¯s 11 walks away from 500, 30 RBIs from 500 and just 80 days of service time away from reaching 10 years -- a prestigious mark for a player.
But the biggest milestone for the back of his baseball card is 1,000 hits for his career, and he is 15 hits away.
Andrew Heaney: 200 career starts (15 away)
Speaking of veterans on the cusp of 10 years of service time, Heaney is 22 service days away from that distinction. He¡¯s also just 15 starts away from 200 in his career, a plateau that only 10 active left-handers have reached.
Mitch Keller: 200 strikeouts
In the history of the franchise, no right-handed pitcher has struck out more batters in a season than Keller in 2023 (210). It¡¯s one of just nine seasons in the Modern Era (since 1900) in which a Pirate struck out at least 200 in a season. Only one pitcher in franchise history has multiple seasons with 200 strikeouts: Bob Veale, who did so four times (1964-1966, 1969). If Keller fans 200 again, he would join Veale as the second to do it in team history, and the first right-hander.
Bryan Reynolds: 1,000 career hits (178 away)
Reynolds passed Bobby Bonilla to become the franchise leader for home runs by a switch-hitter last year, so we turn our attention towards hits. He¡¯s 178 hits away from 1,000 in his career, a feat that only two switch-hitters have ever done in a Pirate uniform (Max Carey and Johnny Ray).
Hayes should reach some offensive milestones this year (33 hits away from 500 in his career, nine doubles away from 100), but defense has always been his calling card. Accruing 25 DRS is a tall ask, as he¡¯s never done it before -- but he¡¯s come close (24 DRS in 2022, 21 DRS in 2023).
So what¡¯s special about 25 DRS? Hayes currently sits at 75 DRS, so that would give him 100, a mark that only five third basemen have reached since DRS started to be tracked in 2002 ( Adrian Beltr¨¦, Nolan Arenado, Scott Rolen, Matt Chapman and Manny Machado). The Pirates¡¯ leader in DRS is Jack Wilson, who saved 104 runs with the club.
Paul Skenes: 7.4 WAR
It¡¯s hard to pick a stat for Skenes, because the sky's the limit. 276 strikeouts to tie Veale for the Modern Era record? 11 strikeouts per nine innings to pass ?liver P¨¦rez¡¯s franchise best?
How about we shoot for the big one, then? John Candelaria¡¯s 7.4 WAR in 1977 is the best for a Pirate pitcher in the Live Ball Era (since 1920). The best pitching season over the last 100 years of Pirates baseball? That seems doable for Skenes.