State of the Pittsburgh Pirates I: Jekyll and Hyde

Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /
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Pittsburgh Pirates
May 1, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Josh Harrison (5) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds during the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /

Offensive MVP: Josh Harrison

I’ve been a harsh critic of Jay-Hay for about a year now. The way I see it, while Harrison is a likable personality and solid defensively, his offense has not been up to par since that magical year of 2014. Harrison spent the first month of 2017 trying to prove people like me wrong, and so far, he is doing an outstanding job.

The Pirates offense has been so bad that I don’t want to give anybody credit for anything. But if I were to pick one hitter that has shined above the rest, Harrison has been that guy.

So far, Harrison has been excellent at the top of the lineup, as he is batting .294 with an OBP of .361  and even is showing some power with five home runs to lead the team as of May 9

Before anybody gets too high on Harrison’s hot start, consider that in 2016, he hit .333 in April and .325 in May before coming back down to earth.

Maybe his early success will carry throughout the season, or maybe Adam Frazier will indeed prove to be a better player. But for now, Harrison is fun to watch, and we can’t say the same for most of the offense.