The Pirates had a historic weekend at PNC Park, getting swept by the worst team in the American League, the Chicago White Sox. Going into the series the White Sox were on pace to lose 100+ games, but that didn’t stop the Pirates from making them look like the 1927 Yankees, allowing 10 runs in each of the first two games of the series and then seven in the concluding game of the series. Overall, the Pirates were outscored 27-7 in the series, enroute to getting swept for the eighth time this season.
Sunday’s loss was historically bad, both literally and figuratively, as the loss put the Pirates’ franchise record under .500 for the first time since August 22, 1903. That’s right, unless you’re 122 years-old, you have never seen the Pirates’ franchise have a record below .500. The franchise’s overall record now stands at 10,879-10,880 and figures to be well below .500 by season’s end.
The Pirates’ franchise originally started as the Alleghenys from 1882-1890. As the Alleghenys, they compiled a 442-617 record. The franchise then went nameless from 1891-1894, going 281-266 during that time. Finally, in 1896 the team took on the “Pirates” nickname and has had a 10,156-9,957 record since that time.
Long gone are the days of six division titles and two World Series championships in the 1970s. In fact, since Bob Nutting took ownership of the team in 2007, the Pirates’ record is 1,322-1,588, which equates to a paltry .454 winning percentage. Further, the Pirates have had just four winnings seasons since Nutting took over as owner. Only three other franchises have had a worse record during Nutting’s tenure, Kansas City at 1,322-1,592 (.454), Colorado at 1,320-1,594 (.453), and Miami at 1,308-1,601 (.445).
It is a shame what this franchise has become. The Pirates are the fourth-oldest franchise in MLB. Only the Cubs, Braves, and Reds franchises are older. This franchise played in the first World Series in 1903. They won the National League pennant in 1901 and 1902 before there even was a World Series. They won the 1925 World Series. They battled the famed 1927 Yankees in the World Series. They won the 1960 World Series in what is considered by many to be the most iconic moment in Major League Baseball history, yet today they sit as an all-time losing franchise and the laughingstock of the league.
For comparison’s sake, the Pirates’ next opponent, the Detroit Tigers, have been around since 1901. However, when comparing overall franchise winning percentages, they have compiled a 9,736-9,607 record, good for a .503 winning percentage. They have also been to the World Series three times since the Pirates’ last appearance in the Fall Classic.
Here’s a look at the all-time winning percentages of some of the other elder franchises in MLB:
| Franchise | Year Founded | Wins | Losses | Winning % |
| Yankees | 1903 | 10,833 | 8,192 | 0.569 |
| Giants | 1883 | 11,593 | 10,067 | 0.535 |
| Dodgers | 1884 | 11,490 | 10,110 | 0.532 |
| Cardinals | 1882 | 11,336 | 10,451 | 0.520 |
| Red Sox | 1901 | 10,009 | 9,310 | 0.518 |
| Cubs | 1876 | 11,386 | 10,807 | 0.513 |
| Guardians | 1901 | 9,900 | 9,419 | 0.512 |
| Reds | 1882 | 10,986 | 10,814 | 0.504 |
| Braves | 1876 | 11,157 | 11,004 | 0.503 |
| Tigers | 1901 | 9,736 | 9,607 | 0.503 |
| Pirates | 1882 | 10,879 | 10,880 | 0.499 |
| White Sox | 1901 | 9,629 | 9,677 | 0.499 |
| Athletics | 1901 | 9,371 | 9,918 | 0.486 |
| Twins | 1901 | 9,307 | 10,006 | 0.482 |
| Orioles | 1901 | 9,164 | 10,138 | 0.475 |
| Phillies | 1883 | 10,263 | 11,369 | 0.474 |
| as of 7/21/25 |
Yes, the White Sox, Athletics, Twins, Orioles, and Philles all have worse overall franchise winnings percentages than the Pirates, but all five of those franchises have won the World Series since the Pirates’ last appearance in 1979. The White Sox won the 2005 World Series. The Athletics won it in 1989. The Twins won it in both 1987 and 1991. The Orioles won the 1983 World Series and the Phillies won it in 2008.
Sure, the economic structure of MLB has a lot to do with what has happened to teams like the Pirates and Royals. Without a salary cap, it is hard for smaller market teams to compete. That being said, the Royals have been to the World Series twice in recent history, losing to the Giants in 2014 and then beating the Mets in 2015. The Marlins have won two World Series titles (1997 and 2003) since the Pirates even last won a division. Even the Rockies reached the World Series in 2007.
Baseball’s current economic structure combined with the Pirates’ inept ownership paints a bleak outlook for the foreseeable future for baseball in Pittsburgh. Nutting isn’t going anywhere because he is making money hand-over-fist, so the only hope is that major changes happen when the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires after the 2026 season. Until then, this once proud franchise’s overall record will continue to plumet further and further below the .500 mark.
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