PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a good start to their season and one that baseball fans and national media are starting to seriously take serious note of. The Pirates moved up two spots to No. 5 in MLB power rankings from MLB.com , putting them amongst the top five teams in baseball to start 2026. Pittsburgh is 13-9 through the first 22 games and seven series of the season, tied for the sixth best record in baseball and in the mix of the highly competitive National League Central Division. The Pirates finished 2025 with the fifth worst record in baseball and last in their division at 71-91 overall, but there's reason for optimism for a team trying to make the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. Offense Continuing Tear Through First Month Hitting was a major problem for the Pirates in 2025, as they finished last or close to last in most offensive metrics.…