Pirates fans delivered a message ownership can’t afford to overlook in 2027

Rum Bunter's Emma Lingan argues that Pittsburgh Pirates ownership must invest heavily in the roster for 2027 after strong fan turnout in 2026. The Pirates finished 82-80 to secure their first winning campaign since 2018, drawing 1,704,229 supporters to PNC Park, which represented the club's second-highest total attendance since 2017 despite a slow start to the year.

Lingan contends that owner Bob Nutting and general manager Ben Cherington cannot use fan apathy as an excuse. The writer urges the franchise to build around young pitchers Paul Skenes and Jared Jones, address free agency decisions like Brandon Lowe, and acquire legitimate offensive upgrades.