Pittsburgh Pirates 2016 vs. 2017 Part 2: Pitching

Feb 19, 2017; Bradenton, FL, USA;Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) pose for a photo for photo day at Pirate City. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 19, 2017; Bradenton, FL, USA;Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) pose for a photo for photo day at Pirate City. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 23, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates celebrate the win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The Pirates defeated the Rockies 13-7. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 23, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates celebrate the win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The Pirates defeated the Rockies 13-7. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Comparing the Pirates’ 2017 pitching staff to 2016

Last week, I compared the Pittsburgh Pirates projected Opening Day 2017 lineup to that of last season. Today, I will dig deeper into my comparison of the ballclub by going over Pittsburgh’s projected 2017 pitching rotation to that of a year ago.

Last season, the Pirates pitching was equivalent to a six-month roller coaster ride. Many are still concerned about the starting rotation, as evidenced by the lust for Chicago White Sox stud Jose Quintana.

However, the price for Quintana may be too high, and due to a lack of quality free agents available, Pittsburgh has been forced to stay in-house, particularly in the starting rotation. Angry natives do not like that, and for that, I apologize. Despite the lack of roster moves, I still feel that the Pirate’s rotation could be among the best in the NL. Let’s get into that, by breaking down the personnel.