Even after a loss, Nick Gonzales can still recognize the progress developing around him.

He, similar to many teammates, remembers what the clubhouse was like at the start of the season. Coming off a disappointing finish last year, the Pirates hoped for better results in 2025. But when the team arrived in Bradenton, Fla., for the start of spring training, no one seemed to be on the same page.

“I think when you lack an identity and an overall goal that everyone is reaching for as a group, you’re going to underperform as a group,” Gonzales told the Post-Gazette. “I think there was a little bit of that going on.”

That lack of identity was visible at the start of the regular season. A team built to “win on the margins” was routinely getting in its own way. April was nothing short of a disast

See Full Page