Pittsburgh Pirates 2025 Preview: MLB Odds & Prediction

The Pittsburgh Pirates became much more interesting during a 76-86 campaign in 2024. That’s a testament to Paul Skenes, who emerged as one of the best pitchers in baseball on his way to winning the National League Rookie of the Year award.

The problem is, the Pirates’ front office remained the same. The Pirates didn’t do much in the offseason to improve an underwhelming lineup or unreliable bullpen, indicating they might waste a year of having one of the more promising (and affordable) rotations in baseball.

Here’s a look at the latest MLB betting lines and my prediction for the Pirates ahead of the 2025 season:

Pirates MLB Odds 2025

Win Total: 76.5
NL Central: +900
NL Pennant: +6600
World Series: +12500

The Pirates’ MLB odds are giving some respect to Skenes and Co. Pittsburgh’s win total has increased by one game since last year, marking the team’s highest preseason win total since 2019.

The Pirates are +900 to win the NL Central after being +1200 earlier this offseason. It is the first time they have been shorter than 10/1 to win the division in the preseason since they were +435 entering the 2016 campaign.

For comparison, check out this breakdown of Pittsburgh’s preseason odds in recent years:

Pirates Depth Chart 2025

According to RosterResource, the Pirates will have a similar depth chart in 2025.

Pittsburgh’s notable moves to improve the offense included trading for first baseman Spencer Horwitz as well as signing Tommy Pham and Adam Frazier. The Pirates also added relievers Caleb Ferguson and Tim Mayza.

Projected lineup

Projected rotation

Pirates Player to Watch in 2025

Skenes is the player to watch on the Pirates, but I’ll have more on him soon. So, let’s circle Oneil Cruz as someone who could single-handedly improve this lineup.

Cruz hasn’t lived up to expectations through four seasons, but giving up on someone with this much raw talent is difficult. Cruz, who is 6-foot-7, continues to be among the league leaders in exit velocity and sprint speed.

Cruz still strikes out too much (30.2% whiff rate) and moved from shortstop to centerfield defensively last year. But his 2024 campaign was a step in the right direction, generating a career-best 2.5 WAR and an OPS+ of 113.

If he can build off that in 2025, Cruz’s exceptional tools are worth betting on as a difference-making bat.

Pirates 2025 Betting Prediction

Based on the updated MLB betting market, I predict Paul Skenes to lead MLB in strikeouts (+400) during the 2025 season. He’s the betting favorite in this market for a reason.

During a brilliant debut season, Skenes struck out 170 batters in 133 innings. He finished well behind the league leader in strikeouts, as Tarik Skubal whiffed 228 batters in 192 innings.

However, Skenes’ strikeout rate (33.1%) ranked third in the majors. He trailed Garrett Crochet (35.1%) and Blake Snell (34.7%), who have question marks about their workload.

The Pirates were careful with Skenes as a rookie, but I expect him to have a longer leash this season. OOPSY projects Skenes to finish with 232 strikeouts in 187 innings in 2025, putting him firmly in the mix to be the league leader in whiffs.

Prediction: Paul Skenes to lead MLB in strikeouts (+400)

2025 MLB Team Previews & Predictions