Pittsburgh Pirates

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Lore & Background

The Pirates were among the best teams in baseball at the start of the 20th century, playing in the inaugural World Series in 1903 and winning their first title in 1909 behind Honus Wagner. The Pirates won their second title in 1925 and were the first team in North American sports history to overcome a 3–1 series deficit to win a playoff series. The club won the 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees on a walk-off home run by Bill Mazeroski, the only time that Game 7 of the World Series has ever ended with a home run. They won again in 1971 behind Roberto Clemente, the first Latin-American enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and in 1979 under the leadership of Willie Stargell. Since their last World Series in 1979, the Pirates have largely endured a period of great struggle. Since then, they have only had eleven winning seasons, six postseason appearances, three division titles, and have advanced just once in the postseason with a victory in the 2013 National League Wild Card Game. The Pirates additionally posted a losing record in 20 consecutive seasons from 1993 to 2012, a record streak in both MLB and the four major North American professional sports leagues. The Pirates currently have the fifth-longest World Series championship drought, the longest pennant drought in the National League, and the longest League Championship Series appearance and division championship drought in all of baseball. From 1882 to 2025, the Pirates have an overall record of 10,910–10,910–140 (.500 winning percentage).

In Their Own Story

It was a season where the numbers told a story of reclamation; after struggling with a 7–9 record and 4.07 ERA in 2017, he surged to a 3.11 ERA across 31 starts. The turning point came as he solidified his place in the lineup, ending the year with 14 wins and 170+2⁄3 innings pitched. His performance was so dominant that he cracked the top-10 in the National League for both victories and earned run average. For a brief window, Williams wasn't just a rotation piece; he was the second-most valuable pitcher in the entire league by WAR. Yet, baseball is volatile. The 2019 season brought a sharp decline to a 7–9 record and 5.38 ERA over 26 starts, followed by a difficult 2020 where he allowed 15 home runs, leading the National League in that category before being designated for assignment on November 20.

Reader's Guide

The Pirates are also often referred to as the "Bucs" or the "Buccos" (derived from buccaneer, a synonym for pirate). Since 2001 the team has played its home games at PNC Park, a 39,000-seat stadium along the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh's North Side. The Pirates previously played at Forbes Field from 1909 to 1970 and at Three Rivers Stadium from 1970 to 2000. Since 1948 the Pirates' colors have been black, gold and white, derived from the flag of Pittsburgh and matching the other major professional sports teams in Pittsburgh, the Steelers and the Penguins.

Did You Know?

• The Pirates were the first team in North American sports history to overcome a 3–1 series deficit to win a playoff series.
• The 1960 World Series ended with the only Game 7 walk-off home run in World Series history, hit by Bill Mazeroski.
• Roberto Clemente was the first Latin-American enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
• The Pirates posted a losing record in 20 consecutive seasons from 1993 to 2012, a record streak in both MLB and the four major North American professional sports leagues.

Pirates Tenure and Breakout Performance

Williams arrived in Pittsburgh via a unique trade mechanism involving coaching staff exchanges, moving from the Miami Marlins to the Pirates on October 24, 2015. After a brief but effective stint with the Indianapolis Indians in early 2016 (9–6, 2.53 ERA), he made his Major League debut that September, though his initial appearance was statistically rough (7.82 ERA). His true impact began in 2017 when he transitioned from the bullpen into the starting rotation, posting solid numbers across 25 starts. However, it was the 2018 campaign where Williams truly defined his value to the franchise. He delivered a career-best season, finishing with a 14–10 record and a 3.11 ERA across 31 starts. This performance placed him among the National League's elite in wins and ERA rankings while securing the second-highest WAR among Pirates pitchers that year. Despite subsequent struggles in 2019 (7–9, 5.38 ERA) and 2020 (leading the NL in home runs allowed with 15), his 2018 dominance remains a high point of his tenure with Pittsburgh before he was designated for assignment.