The Pittsburgh Pirates might boast the finest stadium in Major League Baseball, as long as you don’t mention to Michael Kay that their broadcast booth is better. According to Awful Announcing’s readers, they rank No. 20 overall. Unfortunately, their ownership lingers at the bottom, landing at No. 32.
With the exception of Paul Skenes, there isn’t much for Pirates fans to cheer about these days, and Kay highlighted this during the Yankees’ Sunday matinee at PNC Park.
Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay talks about the state of the Pirates and the potential they could have but don’t have. Take a watch. pic.twitter.com/aLIKhG7LsB
— Greg Finley (@_GregFinley) April 6, 2025
“You know, we talked about the Pirates not doing much at all during the offseason,” Kay noted during New York’s extra-innings loss to Pittsburgh. “The free agent contracts were mostly one-year deals to veterans like [Tommy] Pham, [Andrew] McCutchen, and [Andrew] Heaney. There haven’t been any multi-year deals since Ivan Nova back in November 2016.”
“2016? Wow,” John Flaherty remarked.
Kay also remarked on the atmosphere at the ballpark, stating, “Their owner [Bob Nutting] has been here this weekend and he’s getting booed every time he’s seen.” Flaherty added that the fans in Pittsburgh have been increasingly restless during the team’s first home series, noting that it’s a city with passionate sports fans desperate for a winning team. Unfortunately, the current ownership has failed to provide that opportunity.
“And you can’t say it’s too small of a town,” Kay continued. “The Steelers sell out every game. The Penguins do great, too. This could be like Cleveland, where [the Guardians] contend almost every year. What’s really infuriated the fans is that they have an all-time pitcher in Paul Skenes, who has electrified the baseball world, yet they’ve done nothing to build a competitive team around him.”
Skenes represents the kind of talent that franchises dream about—a cornerstone who could lead a rotation for the next decade. However, in Pittsburgh, aspirations rarely align with significant spending, leaving even Kay perplexed by the lack of investment surrounding such a generational arm.
Until that changes, Pirates fans will keep filling one of baseball’s most stunning ballparks, cheering for one of its brightest young stars, while pondering why ownership won’t match the enthusiasm coming from the stands.
