Pirates Six-Man Rotation Taking Shape
After the 2021 Trade Deadline had passed, Ben Cherington and Derek Shelton agreed that the team would go to a six-man rotation. The Pittsburgh Pirates have a couple of different guys to fill that role, coupled with a few new additions and people returning from injury. Some of the mainstays who have been with the team all season will be part of that group as the Pirates try to eat innings and save their bullpen. As of right now, Chad Kuhl, Wil Crowe, and JT Brubaker are the only guys who can say their spots are locked into the six-man. The final three positions will be a battle between Mitch Keller, Steven Brault, Cody Ponce, Max Kranick, and Bryse Wilson. All but Wilson have had shots with the Pirates before, and they will get a shot to shine again over the final two months of the season.
The most important thing for this staff to do over the final two months of the season is show improvement. They aren't necessarily looking for them to win a lot of games, but show that they can eat innings and improve their stuff. The bullpen has been way overtaxed this season, and it is due in large part to the shortcomings of the starting rotation. As a group, they are averaging just 4.2 innings per start, and with innings limits starting to be implemented, that doesn't look to be getting any better. The six-man rotation is going to have to be consistent over these final six months if the Pirates want to move forward into the off-season. Today, we look at the possible six-man rotation and how they will shape up for the rest of the season.
Locked and Ready
The first group we are going to look at are the guys who have cemented their spot in this six-man rotation. Chad Kuhl, Wil Crowe, and JT Brubaker have all had highs and lows this season, but serve as the three most consistent presences in the rotation this year. The first is Opening Day starter Chad Kuhl, who after an Injured List stint earlier this season, he has come back and rocked it over his last seven starts. During that time, he has a 2.84 ERA and has managed to drop his ERA from 6.52 at the start of the run to its current mark of 4.43. Kuhl is the new veteran of the staff, and he hopes to help these young guys in their development.
The next man is one of the most improved pitchers in the short-term in Wil Crowe. Crowe was acquitted in the Josh Bell trade and has found his groove over his last two starts. He and pitching coach Oscar Marin found something before his start in San Francisco, and he has used it to turn in the two best starts so far of his MLB career. Overall this season, Crowe is 3-5 with a 5.40 ERA, but his best work has come over his last two starts. During that time, he has thrown 11.1 innings of work and allowed just two earned runs for a 1.63 ERA during that span. He struck out 13 and walked five during that span, and in both games had a WHIP of 1.57 and 1.52 respectively. These two starts are hopefully just what Crowe needed to turn things around and start putting together better outings.
The final piece of the guaranteed portion of the six-man rotation is JT Brubaker, who rebounded after a rough patch in his last outing. Overall, the month of July was not one that Brubaker wants to remember. In five starts during the month, Brubaker went 0-3 with a 6.57 ERA over 24.2 innings of work. However, in his final start of the month, Brubaker looked like the guy we saw at the beginning of the year. He went 6.0 innings allowing one run on three hits while walking two and striking out four. It was a flashback to the Brubaker that we saw in April and May that had an ERA under three. All rookies or young guys go through a stretch where they are going to get hit hard. Hopefully, we are starting to see Brubaker come out of that stretch and be that guy that he was at the beginning of the year who can be a steady presence in the rotation moving forward.
Competing for a Spot
The final three spots in a potential six-man rotation see going to be a battle over these final two months. There are several young guys trying to earn these three spots and a couple of guys coming back from injury. It starts tonight when Bryse Wilson makes his Pirates debut after coming over in the Richard Rodriguez trade. So far this season in Atlanta, Wilson has made seven starts and went 2-3 with a 4.23 ERA. Overall, he has turned in some strong starts this season, allowing three earned runs or less in five of those seven starts. He has Big Game experience pitching in the 2020 NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and at 23-years-old, he still has several years of control remaining on his contract. He is set to make his Pirates debut tonight against the Brewers, where we will get a first glimpse at what he has to offer.
Behind him is a guy who has been working his way back to injury in left-hander Steven Brault. Brault was one of the most consistent Pirates pitchers last season, going 1-3 with a 3.38 ERA over 42.2 innings of work. He didn't allow an earned run over his first five starts last year, and most likely would have been the Opening Day starter this season had he been healthy. After trading Tyler Anderson, the Pirates are in need of a left-handed starter, and Brault can step in and fill that role. Another guy we have seen this year working his way back is Miguel Yajure. He has been on the Injured List in Triple-A Indianapolis, and in two starts went 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA. Both players are coming back soon, and both should get an opportunity down the stretch.
The final two arms to watch in the possible six-man rotation are Max Kranick and Cody Ponce. Both are younger arms, and both have had their share of struggles this season. Kranick came in with a bang, throwing five perfect innings in his debut, but has since fizzled out pitching to a 7.31 ERA in 16.0 innings of work. He hasn't been as sharp as he was in his debut and has been getting hit around at a high rate. As for Ponce, he had a good start and a good relief appearance, but that's it. He has posted an 8.64 ERA over 16.2 innings of work and hasn't nearly been as effective as he would like. Time will tell how these two factor into the rotation over the final two months, but there will surely be opportunities for guys to take the reigns and be leaders on this starting staff.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (40-65) are on the road today as they start a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers (63-43) at 8:10 pm. Bryse Wilson (2-3, 4.83) makes his Pirates debut following the trade with Atlanta against Eric Lauer (3-4, 3.78) for the Brewers. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet, listen on 93.7 The Fan, or follow along with us live on Twitter by following @Buccos_Cove.
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