Pittsburgh Pirates Struggle Against Left-Handed Pitchers

The Pittsburgh Pirates, currently 9th in the National League with a 45-45 record, won their last game 1-7 against the Washington Nationals on July 4, 2026.

What happened?

The Pirates' manager, Don Kelly, pointed out the team's struggle against left-handed pitchers after their loss to the Nationals.

The Nationals' starter, Foster Griffin, a left-hander, pitched 5.0 innings, giving up just one earned run and four hits.

Why it matters for Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates have a .688 OPS and an 88 wRC+ against left-handers, which rank 20th and 24th in MLB, respectively.

This is a far cry from their .788 OPS off right-handed pitchers.

What comes next?

The Pirates may need to explore adding a platoon bat if they can't make internal improvements against left-handed pitching.

And with Oneil Cruz still on the injured list, the team's lack of production against southpaws is an even bigger problem.

The team leaders in terms of OPS against left-handers are Bryan Reynolds with a .949 OPS, Oneil Cruz with a .868 OPS, and Konnor Griffin with a .756 OPS.

But after that, it's a steep drop off to Marcell Ozuna, whose .703 OPS against left-handers ranks fourth on the team.

So the Pirates will need to find a way to improve against left-handers to compete with other teams.

The Nationals' strategy of saving and lining up their southpaws for matchups against the Pirates is likely to continue.

Don Kelly admitted that the team needs to get better against left-handers.

The Pirates' bullpen also needs improvement, with the team considering adding another arm or two.