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What a difference a year makes for these Pittsburgh Pirates

By Jason Rollison |
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The 2015 version of the Pittsburgh Pirates are once again surging in September. Having played their way to the second best record in all of baseball, and having caught a few breaks along the way, the Pittsburgh Baseball Club finds itself only 2.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals – a deficit that was unimaginable as recently as a week ago.

What a difference a year makes.

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On this date last year the Pirates found themselves in a dogfight of a different kind, clinging to the second wild card with a scant 1.5 game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers. We now know that the Brewers were at the tail end of an epic collapse, yet on September 13, 2014 nothing was certain. The Brewers would go on to a record of 5-8 on games after this date. The Bucs would surge with a 10-4 record, which was still not enough to catch the Cardinals. Thus, the Pirates were relegated to the first wild card. We all know what happened after that.

The differences in this team year-to-year go much deeper than their respective records. But, that’s as a good a place as any to start. At this point last year the club had a record of 78-70. This year’s version is already eight games better despite the 2014 team having seven games in hand.

Instead of dwelling on the sour note that was the end of the 2014 season, let us instead take a look at how far the team has come in one year. Last year saw the emergence of Josh Harrison and Starling Marte. It also gave us the long, slow descent of Pedro Alvarez. Fast forward one year later and the Pirates offensive attack is among the best in the game. With the departure of bench coach Jeff Banister  and catcher Russell Martin (or rather his +.400 OPS) in the off-season, one would not have been surprised if the Pirates’ hitters took a step back. Under the guidance of Jeff Branson, however, the Pirates have done anything but. Consider this – the ’14 Pirates at this point had a runs per game of 4.24, while the ’15 version has a slightly better figure at 4.25.

As we recall the slow start to the Pirates offense this year, this becomes an even greater achievement. Coupled with integrating Jung Ho Kang and dealing with injuries to Harrison and Jordy Mercer, one can easily see the marked improvement in scoring runs. (For more on Branson’s impact, I highly recommend checking out Dejan Kovacevic’s column over at Dkpittsburghsports.com) Overall the 2015 Pirates lineup is much more dynamic and productive. The presence of Kang and Aramis Ramirez behind Andrew McCutchen gives the Bucs a legitimate power trio while the top of the order in Gregory Polanco and Marte can set the table more often than not. With Francisco Cervelli and Neil Walker manning the lower part of the order, the Pirates make opposing pitchers work. There are no easy outs in this lineup. Compare this to last year’s model which had to rely on meaningful contributions from Ike Davis and Travis Snider for long stretches. All of this without mentioning the horrendous depth – or lack thereof – that was on the 25-man roster.

Next, let’s see how this year’s pitching staff stands up against its previous incarnation.

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Aug 24, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher J.A. Hfgapp (32) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

On the mound, the differences year to year are just as meaningful. With Edinson Volquez enjoying a career year before bolting for the Royals, the Pirates backfilled with A.J. Burnett, gaining a better performer in the process (until injury of course). Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano both took a step forward from last year, and though Jeff Locke and Charlie Morton continue their up-and-down ways, the addition of J.A. Happ provides a huge differentiation between this year and last. So much has been said about Happ’s performance – both on these pages and others – so in the interest of brevity let’s just say that the presence of Happ gives the Pittsburgh Pirates that reliable “fourth’ starter that they so desperately lacked last year. I use parentheses as the jury is still out on Burnett’s contributions going forward. If Burnett struggles, Happ can be seen as a shrewd insurance policy picked up for next-to-nothing at the deadline. If Burnett returns to form, then the Happ acquisition becomes exponentially more valuable for the stretch run and playoffs.

At this point last year the club had a record of 78-70. This year’s version is already seven games better despite the 2014 team having seven games in hand.

Perhaps the greatest difference year-to-year for the Pirates lies in the bullpen. Fans forget this, but Jason Grilli, John Axford, and Ernesto Frieri combined to make 49 appearances last year. Grilli’s 22 appearances included four blown saves, while Frieri and Axford did little to impress upon fans and the front office alike. It can be no surprise then that the bullpen was an area of focus for Neal Huntington as soon as the final out was recorded in the wild card game. Picking up Antonio Bastardo, Arquimedes Caminero, and yes, Radhames Liz, Huntington easily upgraded middle relief, which was the Pirates achilles heel last season. Combined with pickups Joe Blanton and Joakim Soria, and the bullpen was turned from a back end-heavy option to an absolute weapon.

Statistics, results, and roster moves aside, perhaps the biggest change for the Pirates year over year is in their mentality.

At this time last year, the Pirates were clinging desperately to a wild card spot.

Now, they are on the attack. They are the team that no one wants to face in late September. They are a cruise missile locked onto their stated target: the NL Central. To be sure, there have been more than a few bumps along the way, errors in trajectory if you will.

But how does that saying go again? Oh, yeah. The best defense is a good offense. Perhaps you’d prefer this – better to be the hunter than the prey.

No matter which cliche you choose, it’s clear that the 2015 Pittsburgh Pirates are a much more idealized notion of where this team should be in relation to the talent on the roster.

Next: Wake-Up Call: Locked Down

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