So far, the Pirates’ season has been mediocre. They sit fourth in the NL Central, where they were expected to be.
There are a multitude of things that can be improved to boost them in the standings.
Their bullpen has arguably been the worst part of the team. The relief pitchers have constantly blown leads and given away winnable games.
Former All-Star and closing pitcher David Bednar has a terrible 6.75 ERA and three blown saves this season. New addition Aroldis Chapman has also underperformed. He has a 5.19 ERA while walking 20 batters in only 17 innings pitched.
There has also been inconsistency with the hitting. The Pirates are getting hits, but the run production has been subpar. There are many games where they’re barely scoring any runs.
Players like Rowdy Tellez, who is batting .175, and Jack Suwinski, who is batting .174, have struggled severely this season.
There has been a lack of home run power as well. A 37-year-old Andrew McCutchen is the team leader in home runs with eight. Even though he has been solid, a guy his age should not be leading the team in homers.
But there are reasons for hope.
The starting pitching for the Pirates has been outstanding. Mitch Keller has a sub-4 ERA and has thrown six innings in just about every game he’s played in so far.
Young stars Jared Jones and Paul Skenes have not disappointed. Jones has struck out more batters than any other Pirates pitcher. Skenes, through four starts, has posted a 2.45 ERA with an outstanding 30 strikeouts.
Some players have stood out at the plate this year. The young Nick Gonzales is hitting .313 and has three homers since being called up. Conner Joe has a .286 batting average and has been versatile in the field.
Overall, the Pirates’ future looks bright. Hopefully they can strengthen their weak spots and make a push for the playoffs.
