Pittsburgh Pirate Hot Takes

With my busy schedule it was hard for me to find time to watch opening day.  However I was able to watch the Pirate game last night.  Boy am I excited baseball is back!  A lot of thoughts, observations and ideas crossed my mind.

Jonathan Niese pitched a solid game. Neise started out the game on fire while striking out the first two he faced.  His breaking balls looked nasty and his fastball looked impressive. Overall he pitched better than the stat lines might show.  We will see how the next outing goes before we can truly predict how efficient he will be.

Andrew McCutchen hitting second in the lineup will lead to big things. He finished 3 for 5 with 1 run scored, 1 double and 1 RBI.  The double he hit was a bullet and he was patient at the plate.  Regardless of who leads off, this allows McCutchen more opportunities to reach base and score more runs.  Since he only had 7 stolen bases last year most would think he will be more aggressive on the bases.  Boy let’s hope so!

Gregory Polanco is primed for a big season. Polanco just got a large extension and should have a huge year for the Pirates.  He sure swung the bat nicely last night and showed some of the power he possesses.  He currently hits in the 7^th spot in the batting order but I think he will find his way towards the top as the season continues.   Polanco is a huge part of the success of this team and as long as he is producing this team will win games.

The Pirates bullpen is even stronger than last year. After Niese pitched 5 innings Caminero came in and threw gas!  As long as Caminero can keep his accuracy in line he should be a very valuable piece for the bullpen.  Pittsburgh has Watson, Feliz and Melancon all available to close games.  Feliz is new to Pittsburgh and he still has a lot to prove.  Also the return of Jared Hughes will help the bullpen be even stronger moving forward.

The Pirates will sweep the Cardinals to start the season. Pittsburgh has already beaten both Wainwright and Wacha.  Mike Leake is making his debut for the Cardinals and he will look sharp.  However the opposing starting pitcher in Juan Nicasio will be even better.  He has had a stellar spring training but tonight is the first step in the long season.  The Pirates offense is scoring a lot of runs and this should help them sweep the Cardinals.

A sweep of the Cardinals would be a great way to start the season for the Pittsburgh Pirates! Next they head to Cincinnati to play the Reds.