Pittsburgh Pirates Can Learn A Lot From World Series Teams

Sep 25, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Starling Marte (6, center) celebrates with Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) after Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Neil Walker (not pictured) hit a two-run home run scoring McCutchen in the eighth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. The Pirates won 10-1. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Not only are the Kansas City Royals this season’s better version of 2013’s Pittsburgh Pirates, they are actually the mold the Bucs should follow if they want to jump up from being a fringe playoff team to a true World Series contender in the next few years.

The Royals do everything in the small-ball way right. They go for the extra bag, play terrific defense and keep opposing teams on their heels the entire game. They do not have big-boppers in the lineup, but they do not let them hold them down. In fact, they use it to their advantage. Most teams in the recent era have to rely on the three-run home run to score enough runs to win. The Royals can smack an infield single, steal second, move the runner over with a grounder to the right side and score on a sacrifice. The Pirates should be paying attention to this. The team may think it can rely on home runs with Andrew McCutchen and possibly Pedro Alvarez. Hopefully for Pirates’ fans, Alvarez is out of town next year and the Bucs just implant Josh Harrison at third. If that move happens, Pittsburgh will have a very similar lineup to Kansas City

The Pirates must be more aggressive on the bags, try to test teams’ outfield arms and build a much stronger bullpen. The 2013 version of the Pirates had a very reliable ‘pen, but the ’14 team left something to be desired. Pittsburgh’s management could use Alvarez as a trade option in acquiring a lower rotation starter and a fire-balling reliever. The answers to move forward in the National League are there, but the Pirates must be persistent in their attempts to become better.

If the team stays similar to this past season’s club, the Pirates will not make the playoffs, crushing fans’ hopes, which could start another stint of being left out of the playoffs.