Pittsburgh Pirates vs New York Mets Picks and Predictions for Thursday, March 26, 2026
Use Code WWWC The Pittsburgh Pirates will open the 2026 season Thursday afternoon with a 1:15 PM matchup on the road in Queens, NY, inside Citi Field against the New York Mets, and we have you ready to roll with our Pittsburgh vs New York prediction. Pittsburgh comes into the 2026 season looking to rebuild off a miserable performance a year ago. The New York Mets are coming into 2026 looking to be better after a mediocre season that saw them miss the playoffs. The Pittsburgh Pirates finished the year with 71 wins and 91 losses after going 10-14 in September. New York finished last season 4 games above .500 with 83 wins and 79 losses. New York lost 14 of their last 21 games, including an 8-game losing streak at the start of September. Read more about this Pittsburgh vs New York prediction! Struggling with handicapping? Try our MLB Predictions!
Pittsburgh looks to start the year strong
The Pittsburgh Pirates had the third-worst offense in baseball a year ago, finishing the season with a .231 team batting average. The Pittsburgh power was unrealistic, as the Pirates combined to hit just 117 home runs and totaled 561 RBI’s. Much like the Pittsburgh offense, the Pittsburgh pitching was ranked at the bottom of the league last year, finishing 26th overall with 71 team wins. Pittsburgh allowed 598 earned runs last year on 1267 hits. As a team, Pittsburgh combined for a 3.76 ERA, resulting in 91 total losses.
Bryan Reynolds was a huge piece to the Pittsburgh offense last year, leading the team with a .245 batting average, 144 hits, and 73 RBI's. Oneil Cruz is another key piece for Pittsburgh this season, returning after leading the team with 20 home runs in 135 games last season. Nick Gonzales will return this season to Pittsburgh after posting a .260 batting average last season, though he played just 96 games.
Key Injury Report for Pittsburgh:
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- Anthony Solomet (Day-to-Day)
- Oddanier Mosqueda (Out)
- Ronny Simon (Out)
- Chris Devenskit (Out)
- Jared Jones (60 Day IL)
New York begins push for the playoffs
The New York Mets were a middle-of-the-pack offensive team a year ago, with a .249 batting average, as New York drove in 746 runs as a team. The New York power was solid enough as New York combined to hit 224 total home runs and carried a team slugging percentage of .427 last season. The New York pitching staff was in the middle of the pack last season, as the Mets combined for a 4.03 team ERA. New York gave up 1338 hits and 641 runs across 1432 total innings of work.
The Mets have a big hole to fill this season, as Pete Alonzo led the team with a .272 batting average and 126 RBIs a year ago, then departed for Baltimore in the offseason. Francisco Lindor boasted a .267 batting average and 31 home runs a year ago and will likely step into the role of offensive leader this season. Juan Soto posted a .263 batting average and led New York with 43 home runs last season through 160 games, and is expected to make a jump this year in the New York lineup.
Key Injury Report New York:
- Brandon Waddell (Day-to-Day)
- Francisco Lindor (Day-to-Day)
- Nate Lavender (Day-to-Day)
- Aj Minter (Out)
- Mike Tauchman (Out)
Pittsburgh vs New York Pick
- Pittsburgh vs New York Spread Pick
Both teams are going to be without several players in this matchup, but New York will be without one of the best players on their roster. Pittsburgh will also send out one of the best young pitchers in baseball on Thursday in Paul Skenese. Look for Pittsburgh to do the job on both sides of the ball as they back their young stud pitcher against a mediocre New York team. The Mets will have a strong pitcher on the mound, but Pittsburgh will have the edge with their health and pitching advantage. Take Pittsburgh to open the season Thursday with a road victory in New York against the Mets.
- Pittsburgh vs New York Over/Under Pick
Both teams have solid enough pitchers in this matchup, but both could see issues. With game one of the year, look for each team to find its rhythm on the offensive end. Both pitchers will pitch well, but will likely struggle in this game period. The total is set too low for an opening day matchup, and the offenses will break through at some point. Take the over on Thursday as the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets do enough on the offensive side to light up the scoreboard.
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