Buccos still in race, but have plenty of problems
As of Tuesday night, the Pirates were still very much alive in terms of earning their fourth-straight invitation to the postseason. However, things have not gone nearly to plan for a franchise that has turned 20 years of losing into expectations of a world title in the span of three years.
At this time last year, Pittsburgh boasted not one, but two aces in Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano. Even with three “solid” starts in his last three trips to the mound, Papa Francisco sports a 5-9 record, a 5.11 ERA, which is second highest amongst the starting rotation, and an MLB-worst 93 walks in 98.2 innings. While Cole hasn’t been nearly as bad, his injury-shortened season has yielded less than ace-worthy results (5-5, 3.11 ERA).
I really don’t need to dive deeply into Andrew McCutchen’s struggles, which have been well documented and analyzed. Whether injury-related or not, the former MVP still can’t nudge his batting average over .250 and he leads the team with 98 strikeouts in 355 at-bats. That number has him 13th in the majors, which is not a statistical category in which Bucco fans expect to see the face of their franchise.
Along with loads of on-field uncertainty, Jung Ho Kang’s investigation for a possible sexual assault during a series in Chicago against the Cubs adds an uncharacteristic issue of player misconduct on a team that prides itself on character. Ironically, the team’s yoyo-esque season seems to have drawn Kang’s possible legal battle out of the headlines. However, it’s not hard to imagine that the investigation could be affecting the once-popular Korean import. After rebounding from last year’s devastating knee injury, Kang is batting just .240 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI.
While I still have confidence that Pittsburgh can turn its season around, I’m not as confident in many of the things that seemingly fuel the optimism of the fan base at large. Since the Pirates have worked themselves into baseball’s upper echelon, two things have always been pointed towards as their biggest strengths: the bullpen and the minors.
While the Pittsburgh relief pitchers were instrumental in the team’s return to relevancy from June 24 to the All-Star Break, cracks in the armor have definitely started to show. Mark Melancon has blown his last two save attempts, while the one-time unhittable Neftali Feliz has seen his ERA elevate above the 3.00 mark. I am interested to see how moving a pair of former starters (Juan Nicasio and Jon Niese) will help to lengthen a bullpen that is easily one of the most overworked in baseball.
Now don’t get me wrong, Pittsburgh still boasts some of the top prospects in the game. The team has also been more willing than in recent years to give these young players a chance at a much earlier point in their respective careers. The fact that the entire starting rotation of AAA Indianapolis has logged at least one start for the Black and Gold validates my previous statement.
While the young pitching has had to be used extensively out of necessity, and with mostly positive results, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of help for the other eight positions on the diamond, with the exception of speedy utility man Adam Frazier. By the way, I am a huge fan of Adam Frazier, but he is a perfect example of my final point.
Frazier is not only one of the fastest base runners/stealers in the organization, he is a capable outfielder, as well as a natural infielder, and seems to possess baseball smarts beyond his years. But, where do you put him in arguably the best outfield in baseball?
Few players produced more warm, fuzzy feelings than Josh Bell, who used three pinch-hit at-bats to turn himself into one of the biggest fan favorites at any level. However, he has struggled to make the transition to first base, where the team desperately wants him to thrive.
So, with July preparing to morph into August, the one thing that Pittsburgh has to desperately be striving for is consistency. Consistently effective outings from Cole, Liriano and whoever comprises the remainder of the rotation is probably the biggest hurdle for the team to clear. More consistent production from McCutchen and Kang would also be a major move in a positive direction.