蘑菇视频

Apr 28, 2017 4 min read

I’m typically not one for jumping off the bridge at the first sign of trouble when it comes to sports, but with how this season has started for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the water below is looking pretty inviting. And if there is one thing Pittsburgh is known for, it is its bridges.

As April turns into May, the Bucco bats, which looked pretty solid in Bradenton in spring training, are looking more and more like they didn’t make the trip north with the rest of the team. As of Tuesday night, Pittsburgh ranked 28th in Major League Baseball in runs scored (65), 21st in team batting average (.233) and 23rd in OPS.

The absence of team bad boys Starling Marte and Jung Ho Kang have also taken a major bite out of the Buccos’ power supply. Pittsburgh batters have managed just 15 home runs this year, which is the 27th highest mark in the big leagues.

Even for a team that does not have a reputation for lighting up the scoreboard, this year’s offense seems especially anemic for a few reasons. Along with the always easy to point out lack of production with runners in scoring position (.213, 24th overall), this is a squad that will struggle to find consistency as Clint Hurdle and his staff are forced to piece together lineups on an almost daily basis.

And the talent pool appears to keep getting shallower and shallower every day.

Along with the anticipated long absences of Marte and Kang, utility man Adam Frazier’s hamstring has removed one of the team’s reliable threats at the plate. David Freese, who has been by far the top performer at the plate, is also dinged up. Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any pro-ready talent in AAA for the squad to call up in support, and Pittsburgh would need a serious change in philosophy if the fans have any chance of some outside help riding to the rescue by way of a trade.

Even when the Black and Gold has had its offensive struggles in the past, they could usually rely on a stout defense. Sadly, the gloves, like the bats, have failed the squad over the first few weeks of the season.

Much like the batting order, Marte’s absence has caused havoc in an outfield that was already going through growing pains with its well-publicized realignment. With the Gold Glover gone, players like Frazier, Josh Harrison, John Jaso and Jose Osuna, none of which are natural outfielders, have been called upon to try and handle right field, while Andrew McCutchen ultimately got his wish to return to his role as the team’s everyday center fielder.

More troubling, however, has been the play of the infield. Amazingly, the only member of the team’s usual starters in the dirt without at least two errors is first baseman Josh Bell, who is constantly removed late in games for “defensive upgrades.” Returning starters Freese, Josh Harrison, Jordy Mercer and Francisco Cervelli have combined to commit 11 of the team’s league-worst 19 errors. Not surprisingly, Pittsburgh’s .974 fielding percentage is also the worst in Major League Baseball.

These two major deficiencies have ruined some fantastic work by the area of the team that was considered its biggest question mark heading into 2017: the starting rotation.

Jameson Taillon and Ivan Nova have been as good as anyone in the National League and Gerrit Cole is coming off a two-hit, eight-strikeout masterpiece against the Cubs on Tuesday night. If Chad Kuhl can bounce back from getting shelled by Chicago in his last start and Tyler Glasnow continues to be serviceable the Pirate starters will more than hold up their end of the bargain.

So what does all this mean?

With the extended absences of two of the team’s biggest stars and young players like Frazier and Bell going through the expected growing pains, any chance of a successful season hinges on the ownership supplementing the roster. Unfortunately, Bob Nutting’s history with opening the checkbook doesn’t point towards many new names joining the 25-man roster.