Buccos Cove

Opening Day is tomorrow, and we can't wait for the 2021 season to begin against the Chicago Cubs. In our final installment of Three Things to Watch, we take a look at how Manager Derek Shelton will use his pitchers coming into 2021. The 60-game season in 2020 was a nice sprint of a season during the pandemic, but it is nothing compared to the marathon of a 162-game season. Players get a full season to show off their talents and pitchers can work their arms out and build up their innings on the mound. Tomorrow, that marathon begins when the Pittsburgh Pirates head to Wrigley Field to take on the Chicago Cubs for the opener. The Pirates aren't picked to do much this season, but this young and hungry team is looking to prove the critics wrong and show how talented they are. They aren't going to be competing for a playoff spot this season, but they are going to be in some competitive games and it will be fun to watch. However, they are only going to go as far as the...

In order for the Pirates to turn things around in 2021, it has to start with their defensive play. They were one of the worst fielding teams in Major League Baseball last season and put an emphasis on that side of their game in 2021. If there is one part of their game that the Pittsburgh Pirates need to improve upon, it is their defensive game. Without good defense, you are allowing a lot of free base runners, and that puts your pitchers in a tough situation as they have to work out of jams. As a team, the Pirates ranked 29th in fielding percentage last season (.978), just one point higher than the Need York Yankees, and committed the second-most errors of any team (47), again just one more error than the New York Yankees. It was a combination of bad routes and bad decision-making that led the Pirates to be one of the worst fielding teams, and it is something that cannot happen again in 2021. That is why coming into camp this year, Manager Derek Shelton made it a point of e...

With just three days left before Opening Day, anticipation for the start of the season is at an all-time high. Before the year gets going, we look at some things to watch for the Pirates this year as they get ready to start the 2021 season. Opening Day is just three days away when the Pittsburgh Pirates get set to take on the Chicago Cubs on April 1st. For this young Pirates team, anticipation is building as the players and coaches are ready to take the field. Expectations might not be very high this year, but the fact that we get to see a 162-game season in itself has fans across the league ready to roll. However, with a young team like the Pirates, there are always some questions that need answered. Over the next couple of days, we will highlight the three things to watch as the team heads into 2021. We will focus on every aspect of the team and get you ready with everything you need to know before April 1st. Today, we focus on the young offense, who will be relied on to ...