2021 Pittsburgh Pirates Previews: RHP JT Brubaker
In 2018, pitcher JT Brubaker was named the 2018 Pittsburgh Pirates Minor League Pitcher of the year. He beat out guys like top prospect Mitch Keller and Tyler Glasnow, going 10-6 with a 2.82 ERA. He was primed for a call-up to the Major Leagues in 2019, but injuries derailed those chances. He suffered a right forearm strain and had a set back in mid-June and was forced to miss the rest of the season. With the cancellation of the 2020 Minor League season, Brubaker got the call to the Big Leagues and continued his development in the Pirates bullpen. By season's end, he was a member of the starting rotation and put up decent numbers for a rookie.
All-in-all, Brubaker appeared in 11 games, nine starts, and ended up going 1-3 with a 4.94 ERA in 47.1 innings of work. He started out as a long-reliever, but thanks to injuries, he was able to work his way into the starting rotation. As the calendar moves to 2021, Brubaker finds himself as the team's probable fifth starter after the trade of Joe Musgrove. At 27-years-old, he is one of the oldest rookies on the Pirates team, but he is looking to show that he can become a mainstay in the rotation during this rebuild and the team's rise to being competitive again. Brubaker has a lot to prove in his first full MLB season, as he looks to hold down the number five starter role in the Pirates rotation.
An Up And Down Debut
If it would have been a full 162-game season, it is very unlikely that JT Brubaker would have made the Opening Day roster. At the time, there were several other pitchers ahead of him on the depth chart, and he was coming back from his right forearm strain that ended his 2019 season. However, with the three months off, and injuries to a couple of Pirates pitchers, Brubaker ended up being called up one day one from the Pirates alternative training site on July 23rd. He made his MLB debut three days later coming out of the bullpen on July 26th. He appeared out of the bullpen and pitched two scoreless innings allowing three hits while striking out four batters. It was a strong debut for the young pitcher and gave him confidence moving forward.
After another scoreless appearance out of the bullpen, Brubaker would make his first start of his Major League career. The start came on August 6th against the Minnesota Twins. It was a rough start for Brubaker, as he gave up a three-run home run in the first inning, but calmed down and finished his outing with two scoreless innings. He never appeared out of the bullpen again finishing the year with nine consecutive starts. He gave up a total of eight earned runs over his first three starts and wasn't going deep into games. However, he would make his first quality start on August 29th when he went five innings and gave up two earned runs while walking three and striking out six.
He would turn in a quality start in four of his next five outings and, aside from a seven-run outing, finished the season strong. He ended the year with a 4.94 ERA and showed that he can compete against Big League hitters. His big flaw was the home run ball, as he gave up six home runs during the season, the most of any Pirates starting pitcher. He has the ability to overpower hitters with a fastball in the mid-90s, but needs time to develop it in the Big Leagues. He showed some promising signs as a rookie and is looking to take that next step as a full-time starter during the 2021 season.
First Full-Season Jitters
For JT Brubaker, 2021 is going to essentially be his rookie season, as he only made 11 starts last season. With Musgrove gone, Brubaker and teammate Cody Ponce will be fighting for the fifth start, and Brubaker has the upper hand. Being that he spent time in the rotation last season, one can guess that he would be in it again for the 2021 season. Brubaker has a history of initially struggling when making a transition and 2020 might have been that transition year. When he first made the transition to Advanced-A in 2016, he posted a 5.62, and in 2017 he made the transition to Double-A and posted a 4.44 ERA.
To go along with those struggles, he also has a history of having success right after those struggles. He never got a redemption shot at Advanced-A ball, but in Double-A things got better. The same year he was names Pirates Minor League pitcher of the year, he began the year in Double-A Altoona. He went 2-2 with a 1.80 ERA in six starts and earned a promotion to Triple-A. Hopefully, for Brubaker, he is able to bounce back like he has in the past and become a full-time dominant starter. He has the stuff to succeed, but now he has to learn how to control that stuff and use it to his advantage to full opposing hitters.
As for how Brubaker will perform in 2021, I expect him to do well, but I don't believe he will be top of the rotation talent. His 96 mile per hour fastball is enough to light up the radar guns, but he is still working on controlling it. He walked 17 batters in his 47.1 innings of work and allowed an opponent batting average of .262. With some guidance, Brubaker can learn how to control his prices and become a stronger starting pitcher. With some guidance and mentoring, Brubaker could become the top prospect that he was brought up to be. Brubaker and Mitch Keller are the only two starting pitchers on the staff right now who are in the Pirate's future plans. Brubaker looks to live up to his expectations and be that starter his team needs him to be.
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