Regardless of how anyone wants to spin it, the 2015 Pittsburgh Pirates were one of the best teams in franchise history. The team won 98 games, which tied three other clubs for the third most wins in a single season in franchise history. It was also the second most wins in the MLB in 2015.
The problem that season is that the team that won the most games in the MLB was also in the National League Central. While the Pittsburgh Pirates won 98 games, their NL Central rival St. Louis Cardinals won 100 games. Due to this, the Pirates found themselves hosting the NL Wild Card Game for a third consecutive season.