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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Number One

2016: Gerrit Cole

2017: Gerrit Cole

After the 2016 season drew to a close, it was evident to all sensible Pirates fans that Gerrit Cole, who won 19 games the previous year, had not lived up to expectations. As Cole’s baseball reference page proves, the UCLA product wasn’t quite the “ace” that we were hoping he would be in 2016. However, since the offseason began, I have believed that it would be difficult for Cole to be as disappointing as he was last year. The man is too talented, too competitive, and hopefully, will be too healthy, which I don’t think he was last year, to take another step back. Cole’s performance thus far this spring so far is backing up that theory.

It’s hard to put that much into spring numbers, but hopefully, this is a strong indication of what 2017 Gerrit Cole will be. Given his past success and his motivation to win, who’s to say that it is not?

2017 Cole > 2016 Cole