What a difference a year makes for these Pittsburgh Pirates

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.

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