Short answer, no. But what if?
What if the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have become all too familiar with the basement that is located in the National League Central, finally broke out and made it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013? What if relying on a cast of non-superstars, supported by solid starting pitching and a bullpen, was just enough to squeak into the Wild Card game?
Pittsburgh, your time can potentially be now. While unlikely, the Pirates have set themselves up to become real players in a division that has so far been a big-time disappointment.
Predicated and determined to finally make some noise again, the Pirates tried to make a run into the playoffs already last season, even though they really had no chance. Acquiring Chris Archer from the Tampa Bay Rays at last year’s trade deadline was good to keep him away from other teams, but it was a year too early, thus having to give up a major haul for his services.
The players given up for Archer, top prospect starter Tyler Glasnow and top outfield prospect Austin Meadows, seem to be hitting their strides at Tropicana Field, even though Meadows is on the injury list yet again. Archer is a steady force within the Pirates’ rotation, and combining him with Trevor Williams and Jameson Taillon makes for a really tough start to the starting rotation.
Position player wise, no one truly jumps off the page.
At catcher, Francisco Cervelli has had a career revelation, so much so that he is actually becoming one of their offensive driving forces, and his defense behind the plate is above average. For a player that has jumped around to many teams before finding a home in Pennsylvania, Cervelli looks to be right at home for the Buccos.
Josh Bell at first base, Adam Frazier manning second, rookie Cole Tucker at shortstop and Jung Ho Kang at the hot corner is not a sexy first to third spread, but it gets the job done. Bell is their power guy, Frazier hits for average, Tucker is just getting his first taste of MLB ball but went deep for his first career MLB hit, and Kang is settling in at third base after only playing in three games in 2018.
For the outfield, starting Melky Cabrera in left field starts the warning lights immediately. Much past his prime and having to deal with prior steroid issues, Cabrera definitely is not one of the strongest arms or bats that gets regular playing time in the league.
Center field is where rookie Bryan Reynolds gets to showcase his talents, having only played in four games but having six hits and three strikeouts across 12 at-bats. Right field is manned by Gregory Polanco, who is the team’s best player in the field and best outfielder on the squad.
Polanco, who is in his sixth year on the Pirates, has only played in three of the team’s games so far to open the season, so he is trying to get up to speed with the club and trying to become one of their most surefire contributors for 2019.
Their bullpen is highlighted by Felipe Vazquez as their closer and Keone Kela as their big-time shutdown reliever. The two have combined to throw 20.1 innings, allowing six earned runs (all by Kela), striking out 28 and only walking five.
The lefty Vazquez has been lights out, currently sporting a 0.00 ERA across nine games, earning six saves. Kela has two holds already, which is half of his total that he earned after being traded to the Pirates from the Texas Rangers last season.
Still managed by Clint Hurdle, the Pirates have some tools to build off to make a playoff run. While an outside chance, this franchise has the element of surprise on their hands and could make things interesting with a few moves to shore up their weak spots before the playoff run begins.
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