What's Going on With the Pittsburgh Pirates?

What’s Going on With the Pittsburgh Pirates?

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a 15-10 record and are in first place in the NL Central. This is a good thing. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games. This is also a good thing. Andrew McCutchen, the team’s best player is currently batting .216 with only 2 home runs and 13 runs batted in. This is not a good thing. So how exactly does one explain the results of their season so far? There’s a little bit of luck involved and a lot of skill as well. First off, not everyone on the roster is teetering along the Mendoza Line like McCutchen. Garrett Jones is batting .324 while Starling Marte, the leadoff hitter and table setter for the lineup is batting .323. Russell Martin, signed this offseason to bolster production from the catcher position, is heating up over his last few games and is leading the team with 5 home runs. A.J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez have pitched well thus far, with Burnett leading the National League in strikeouts and Rodriguez posting a 1.66 ERA.

Two more big reasons are factoring into the start for this team and they are factors the Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t always been known for. Those factors are defense and bullpen production. Marte and McCutchen have unlimited outfield range. Clint Barmes, who might be the worst hitter in all of baseball, makes up for it with his swift glove at shortstop. Martin is as capable with the glove as he is with the bat, if not more so. Neil Walker completes the up the middle defensive prowess with an above average glove at second base. When you can’t score many runs it helps that your defense can prevent them so well.

Now comes the time where we talk about the bullpen. Both the setup man and the closer for the Pirates are guys who most teams would shy away from even signing never mind putting into such high pressure situations. Let’s start with Mark Melancon. Last season for the Red Sox at the beginning of the year, Melancon performed so horribly it was at the point you felt sympathetic and had compassion for a guy unable to do his job. This year, he has turned that around and pitched nothing like that guy in Boston. Odds are Melancon, like many others before him, just can’t pitch in a big market but goes on to thrive in a smaller one. There’s no shame in that, like I stated before, he’s not the first guy and certainly won’t be the last. He’s been an eighth inning anchor for this team thus far. Then we get to the closer position. Jason “Grilled Cheese” Grilli was never a guy that struck fear into the hearts of batters and didn’t even put up otherworldly numbers for the Pirates last season. However, this offseason something clicked for him and turned his career around. Joel Hanrahan, the previous closer for the Pirates was traded, opening up the closing spot in the bullpen. Grilli then went on to pitch for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic putting up outstanding numbers in his appearances. That may have given him the confidence boost he needed as not only did he carry that over into the remainder of spring training but into the regular season as well. He currently has 10 saves and is a strikeout machine.

We’ve all seen this song and dance from the Pirates before where they start off strong, hang around for a while making some noise, and then do a complete nosedive in the standings making you forget they were even good at points during the season. However, this season just might be a little different. The NL Central isn’t as strong as it has been in years past, young guys are showing they are capable of producing for the long haul, and their star players aren’t performing to expectations yet. Also, if you believe in karma and being due, they have to have a season soon where everything comes together and they grab a postseason berth. Maybe, just maybe this is that year and the Jolly Roger will be setting sail for October with clear skies ahead.