What you're about to read is something that nobody would have thought, much less written between 2016 and 2022 or even as recently as March 29 of this year.

It's a good time to be a Pittsburgh Pirates fan.

Honestly, you could even say it's a great time. The situation surely calls for hyperbole, as in the air right now is news of the Bucs' record-setting eight-year, $106.8 million contract with All-Star center fielder Bryan Reynolds and, even after a seven-game win streak ended on Tuesday, a 16-8 record that has them in first place in the National League Central.

This is only a four-day stay in first place we're talking about, but that's still twice as many days as the Pirates spent in first place throughout 2020, 2021 and 2022 as they were losing a league-high 242 games.

The Pirates are, of course, not the only good team in Major League Baseball right now. Or even the only good team that busts out a celebratory suit jacket when appropriate. But they are the only one of those that also has a victory Pikachu and a home run sword.

"It's a fun vibe," outfielder Connor Joe said, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It has been all year. We're continuing it. We're dancing. We're celebrating everything, the small things, the homers. It's a good vibe in the clubhouse. We're happy and looking to continue this run."

With a series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in progress and the Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers due up, the vibes could potentially turn sour in the coming weeks.

This said, it's not just permissible to merely be rooting for the Pirates. Also permissible is to believe in them.