A Look at the Good and the Bad Through the First Quarter of the Season
After Sunday's series finale loss at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, the Pirates do not sit in a good spot after their first 16 games of the season. They have the worst record in Major League Baseball at 3-13 and they have played some bad baseball at times. With a mix of young players and a new manager, you expected a learning curve from the team and some of that inexperience has shined through. Although, it hasn't all been bad as at times both the offense and the pitching has shown signs of life. However, they don't seem to get in sync at the same time and that has led to the inconsistency on the team.
With just over a quarter of the season completed in this 60-game sprint, it is time to take a look at how the team has performed so far and what that means for the future. We will acknowledge the positives that deserve recognition and point out some things that the team needs to work through for the rest of the season. With the Pirates sitting in the position they are in now, this season is going to be about evaluating talent, and seeing what you have for the future. It may not all be pretty but we at Buccos Cove are excited for the opportunity to watch baseball and see how these young guys continue to grow.
The Good: Bucs Bench Showing Potential
Some of the best performances for the Pirates offensively this season has come from their bench players. Looking at the team's leading hitters through 16 games, the men in the top two spots are both players that have come off the bench. Unfortunately, one of those guys is out for the season due to a concussion and a broken jaw, but Phillip Evans and Erik Gonzalez have provided the pop on this team. They are the only two Pirates currently hitting over .300 this season and Gonzalez has caught fire over this last week leading to the jump in batting average. These two have been helping to make the games competitive as the stars have lagged behind.
Unfortunately for Evans, his season ended when he collided with Gregory Polanco's elbow in Saturday's 11-5 loss to Detroit. Up until then, he was swinging a hot bat and proved that he could produce at the Major League level. In his 11 games played this season, Evans was hitting a team-leading .353 with a home run and nine RBI. He was a big part of the offense in the team's 17-13 extra-inning loss to the Tigers on Friday night when he hit his first Major League home run. It came in a big spot for the young infielder too as the Pirates had just lost the lead the inning before. He sent the ball about 415 free into the center field bleachers to give the Pirates a 7-5 lead. Unfortunately, we won't get to see more of Evans as he is officially out for the season with a concussion and a fractured jaw.
Erik Gonzalez, on the other hand, we will get to be seeing more of, and he is swinging a hot bat. Over the last week's worth of games, Gonzalez has raised his batting average from .083 to .333 and has just looked better at the plate. He has tweaked a few things in his batting stance and that has seemed to lead to success. His best performance came in the 17-13 extra-inning game where he went 4-5 with a home run and six RBI. He showed a side of him that we haven't seen before when he powered a ball to the upper deck of the left-field seats. He has definitely earned himself more playing time, and if he continues to hit, Manager Derek Shelton will have to continue to trot him out there.
The Bad: The Bullpen has Struggled
There is absolutely no question about it, the Pirates bullpen has been their biggest downfall this season. They have blown several late leads and dealt with injuries throughout the season to several of their main components. Guys like Kyle Crick, Nick Burdi, and Michael Feliz are all on the Injured List and likely to miss most of the 2020 season. Because of this, the Pirates have had to rely on some of their young arms in big situations, and the pressure has proven to be too much. Guys like Miguel Del Pozo, Nick Turley, and Richard Rodriguez have all seen their share of struggles and it has led to this poor start to the season.
As a team, the bullpen has a combined ERA of 5.47, ranking them 25th out of the 30 MLB teams. Maybe it is amplified by the poor start, but it seems like it is even more amplified when the team is ahead. In Friday's 17-13 loss, the bullpen lost the lead on three different occasions, and the offense was just unable to keep up with the influx of runs scored. The struggles began when then-closer Kyle Crick could not get his season started on the right foot. He gave up four runs in an outing without recording an out, and you knew something was wrong with the right-hander. It turned out he was dealing with a right-shoulder/lat injury and he was sent to the Disabled List.
On the same day, Clay Holmes went on the injury list and things continued to pile up. Because of this guys like Miguel Del Pozo (17.18), Yacksel Rios (9.00), and Nik Turley (5.38) have had to struggle through the ups and downs of the Major Leagues. None of those three pitchers had regular MLB experience before the season, so a transition period is expected. However, that is not a recipe for success when you are trying to win games. That, along with the fact that the starters have struggled to go five or more innings, has led go a bullpen that is tired and ineffective.
The Good: Long Relievers Have Been Great
While the rest of the bullpen has pretty much struggled, one part that hasn't faltered is the team's long-relievers. With all the piggyback starting that Shelton has done this season, they have gotten more and more opportunities to pitch. Guys like Steven Brault, Chris Stratton, and JT Brubaker have all gotten the chance to see the mound more often this year. They have seemed to thrive in those roles and have turned in strong appearances throughout the season. The two long relievers really leading the pack are Chris Stratton and JT Brubaker, who have both shown glimpses of greatness in their appearances.
Most recently, Stratton was the guy to step up big for the Bucs, keeping the game close and giving the Pirates three strong relief innings. In Sunday's series finale, the right-hander lasted three innings of work, giving up one run on three hits while striking out six batters. He kept the game close and gave the Pirates exactly what you want in a long-relief role. It was the first time that Stratton has been used in the piggyback role, and he took full advantage of the opportunity. He is one of the few relievers having success with a 2.89 ERA in his first seven appearances. The big thing that is helping Stratton is the fact that he isn't walking very many people. In his 9.1 innings of work this season, Stratton has walked only three batters and is allowing a career-low batting average of .156.
The other pitched who has benefited from his peer's struggles is JT Brubaker, who made his MLB debut this season. Since coming out of the bullpen against St. Louis during the third game of the season, Brubaker has impressed with his combination of speed and movement. Brubaker regularly hits 93 to 95 on his fastball and his slider has wicked downward movement. In his first 8.0 innings of his MLB career, Brubaker has given up three earned runs while walking three and striking out nine. If it weren't for one swing of the bat, his ERA would be sitting at 0.00 as all three runs he has given up were on a home run. Brubaker is now positioned in the Pirates starting rotation with the injury to Mitch Keller and is looking poised to stay there.
The Bad: Stars are Struggling
Another thing that has been punctuated by the slow start for the Pirates is just how bad their stars have been offensively. Guys like Josh Bell, Bryan Reynolds, and Kevin Newman have all been struggling to start the season. As of yesterday, there are only two pirates hitting above the .250 mark and they are Phillip Evans and Josh Bell. Even the Colin Moran fever that started the year has begun to fade. It has left a Pirates offense that is thirsty for offense and in need of someone to step up. As for the three aforementioned players, Bell is hitting .215, Reynolds is at .179, and Newman is leading the pack at .250.
Recently, those guys have been turning things around, but because they were hitting so badly at the beginning of the year, their numbers still aren't reflecting well. Kevin Newman had the walk-off winner in the team's come from behind win over the Twins at home and Bryan Reynolds has picked things up hitting .240 over his last seven games. Once these guys can start to hit on a more consistent basis, the offense has the potential to be a dangerous 1-6. When Adam Frazier, Newman, Bell, Moran, Reynolds, and Gregory Polanco are all on fire, a big rally could come at any moment. However, when they are off, you can expect a cool down in offensive production.
The Pirates (3-13) have the next three days off due to the Coronavirus canceling their series with the St. Louis Cardinals. The team will be back in action on Friday when they head to Cincinnati to face the Reds. As of now, Trevor Williams (0-3) will get the start for the Pirates opposed by Anthony DeSclafani (1-0) for the Reds. That game can be seen on AT&T Sportsnet and heard on 93.7 The Fan with first pitch scheduled for 5:10 pm.
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