Looking At The Pirates Possible Sixth Starter Options
Every Sunday, General Manager Ben Cherington joins Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster Greg Brown for his weekly radio show. He usually goes over the state of the Major League club, a look at the Pirates Minor Leagues, and any news surrounding the team. However, this Sunday he dropped some breaking news among the draft talk and Minor League reports. He said that the Pirates were going to a six-man rotation at least until the All-Star Break. It is a move that makes sense considering that the Pirates are currently in a stretch of 20 games in 21 days. However, the question now arises as to who will be that sixth man in the Pirates rotation at least until the all-star break.
Manager Derek Shelton talked in the pre-game show prior to Sunday's game and elaborated on the situation a little bit more. He said that several Minor Leaguers would get some opportunities, starting with Max Kranick on Sunday. Kranick was perfect in his Major League debut, throwing five perfect innings, but being that he has only made five starts above Triple-A, and didn't pitch at all last season, he was sent down to limit his workload. However, just because he was sent down now doesn't mean he won't be back in the Big Leagues sometime this season. Using the six-man rotation is a good strategy for a young team as they try to ease their starters into the Big Leagues. Today, we look at who those sixth man options may be and how they will help the Pirates this season.
RHP Cody Ponce
At least in the short term, it looks like Cody Ponce will be the sixth starter for the Pirates until the all-star break. The Pirates sent Kranick back to Triple-A yesterday and in his place brought up right-hander Cody Ponce. Ponce made his presence felt last season, and came up for one start so far this season. Ponce made one start this season against the Chicago Cubs and went 5.0 innings allowing four earned runs on nine hits while walking one and striking out two. After throwing four strong innings, things fell apart in the fifth for Ponce when he gave up three fifth-inning runs leading to an eventual 4-3 loss. Ponce isn't that dominant type starting pitcher, but he will consistently be in the strike zone and will trust his defense to get outs.
Last season, Ponce made a name for himself after coming over in a trade from the Milwaukee Brewers for Jordan Lyles. He ended up making five appearances with the Pirates, three starts and went 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA over 17 innings of work. However, it was as a starter that he really made his mark with his new team. Coming out of the bullpen, Ponce was 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in just 3.1 innings of work. When the Pirates saw him struggling in relief, they sent him down to stretch him back out as a starter. This was a move that ended up working as he posted a much more impressive 1-0 record with a 2.63 ERA in 13.2 innings of work. Opponents hit just .191 off of him as a starting pitcher, and he will look to use that success this season as he tries to establish himself as a consistent starter for this team.
RHP James Marvel
One name you might have forgotten about in the Pirates Minor League system is right-handed pitcher James Marvel. Marvel put together w spectacular 2019 campaign in the Minor Leagues, going 16-5 with a 2.94 ERA in 28 starts between Double-A and Triple-A. Because of his success, he was rewarded with a September call-up in 2019, but things didn't really go the way he had planned them. He ended up making four starts for the Pirates that season and went a combined 0-3 with an 8.41 ERA. All the success he had in the Minor Leagues seemed to have just faded as he was hit at a .338 clip and was plagued by the home run ball. He was at the alternate training site all of 2020, but arm issues prevented him from getting another crack at the Big Leagues.
Now 27-years-old, Marvel is back and pitching with Triple-A Indianapolis putting up solid numbers. In nine games, eight starts, Marvel has gone 3-1 with a 4.40 ERA over 45 innings of work. He is not nearly as dominant as he was in 2019, and once again the home run ball is plaguing him. He has given up eight home runs in his eight starts this season, and opponents are still hitting a decent .278 against the right-hander. Marvel is trying to make his way back to the MLB, and with guys like Miguel Yajure on the 60-day IL, this could be his shot to get there again. He has to limit the contact he allows and keep the ball in the ballpark if he wants to be successful at the Big League level, and that's what he will try to do.
RHP Max Kranick
After a stellar Big League debut that saw him throw 5.0 perfect innings, that is definitely not the last we will see of Max Kranick. He was efficient on the mound and pounded the strike zone at a 72% clip as he mowed down a very good St. Louis Cardinals lineup. However, I understand the demotion to Triple-A after the game, as Kranick didn't pitch at all in 2020, and you have to be able to save his arm for later in the season. The thing I liked about Kranick is not only did he have a perfect 15 up and 15 down outing, but he was able to keep his composure on the mound despite the elements and despite having to face one of the better lineups in all of baseball. Seeing names like Paull Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado didn't seem to faze the young pitcher.
He consistently used his fastball throughout the outing and mixed in his cutter, which had some good movement on it. He had several hitters fishing out of the zone for it, and it was a pitch that helped him generate a lot of soft contact. However, for as good as Kranick was in his debut, there are obviously going to be starts where he doesn't have his best stuff. It will be interesting to see how he builds off of this first start, and if he can start working on his off-speed pitches more consistently. If he can start getting those pitches to work for him at the Big League level, it will go a long way on not only making him more successful but giving the Pirates another strong arm to go to out of the bullpen.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (29-48) play game two of their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies (32-47) tonight at 8:40 pm. Chase De Jong (0-2, 4.94) takes the hill for the Pirates looking to limit the long ball and get his first Pirates win as he goes against German Marquez (6-6, 3.99) for the Rockies. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet or listen on 93.7 The Fan.
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