Rum Bunter’s 2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Staff Preview: Nitti

Opening Day is just a day away for the Pittsburgh Pirates. As Thursday afternoon’s first pitch continues to get closer and closer, the staff here at Rum Bunter continues to churn out their previews for the 2019 edition of the Pittsburgh Baseball Club

Although there isn’t as much buzz around the Pittsburgh Pirates as there is around some of their National League Central Division foes, there’s still plenty to be excited about for this young squad. With the exception of a few players, almost all of the Pirates roster that won 82 games last year is returning. In addition, they also have several young prospects on the cusp of making the big league club.

Now, the Pirates didn’t go out and acquire anyone super enticing that can transcend the organization moving forward. Due to this, the team enters the regular season with question marks at positions such as shortstop, the fifth stater’s spot, and middle relief. Also, due to injuries, right field could be problematic early in the season as well.

That said, there’s enough talent on this team to avoid being the doormat for the rest of the division. Without further ado, let’s get into some predictions! Shall we?

Team Cy Young Winner – Jameson Taillon

This was easy. After having somewhat of a sophomore slump following a strong rookie campaign, Jameson Taillon bounced back in 2018 and became the pitcher that many expected him to be, tallying 191 IP and a 3.20 ERA. These figures placed him 11th and 9th in the National League, respectively.

The 6’5 right-hander will be given the tall task of being this year’s staff ace, with Chris Archer and Trevor Williams behind him. Even with an off 2017 that saw Taillon pitch to a 4.44 ERA in 25 starts, his FIP was nearly identical that year (3.48) to what it was this past season (3.46), suggesting that Taillon has always been the pitcher that he was in 2018.

Even though he didn’t have the best Spring Training in terms of ERA (4.85) and hits allowed (17 H in 13 IP), the former first round pick walked zero batters and yielded zero home runs, an encouraging sign after getting taken deep 20 times in 2018.

Taillon has all the tools needed to anchor a MLB starting rotation. In 2019, the Pittsburgh Pirates need him to become that anchor. If he does, that will be a big step toward the Pirates proving doubters wrong this season.

Team MVP – Adam Frazier

Ambitious? Yes. Impossible? No.

With Josh Harrison out of the picture, Adam Frazier will open this season as the Pirates leadoff man and starting second baseman.

In his first three seasons, Frazier has served as a valuable commodity for manager Clint Hurdle, serving mostly as a utility man. So far in his young career, the Georgia native owns a .280 batting average and a .345 on-base percentage in 966 plate appearances.

Will Frazier be the best hitter on the team in 2019? Unlikely. Will Frazier be the best fielder on the team in 2019? Doubtful. Will Frazier be the best base stealer on the team in 2019? No. What he will be is a crucial table-setter for a Pirates team that has several capable run-producers in the middle of the lineup.

Like any team, the Pirates will probably have their fair share of injuries throughout the season, and with Frazier’s ability to play all over the infield, as well as all three outfield spots, he can shift around to wherever the team needs while remaining at the top of the order day-in and day-out.  Plus, with his success hitting against left-handed pitchers as a left-handed batter (.286 vs LHP in 147 ABs), the 27-year-old could play close to the full 162 games in 2019.

Coming off a spring training in which Frazier hit .346 with a .419 OBP in 12 games, as well as only six strikeouts, don’t be surprised if the former sixth round pick plays the most integral role in the Pirates success moving forward.

Predicting The 2019 Record

The Pirates are setup to regress from their overachieving ways in 2018. Now, that’s not to say the Pirates weren’t as good as their 82-79 record suggested, but with the lack of improvements this offseason in crucial areas all around the roster, specifically shortstop and the fifth starter’s spot, it’s hard to say they’ll finish above .500 for a second straight year.

In a perfect world, this could be a 87 or 88 win team, but with the improvements that the Reds and Cardinals made, and the strong seasons that the Cubs and Brewers are looking to build upon, the Pirates are going to have their work cut out for them. With the back end of the rotation still a huge hole, the uncertainty of the shortstop position, and the shaky bridge to the back-end of the bullpen, it’s hard to say that Clint Hurdle’s squad will win with any consistency.

As a result, the Pirates could find themselves at the bottom of arguably the best division in baseball. For what it’s worth, sometimes you have to take a couple steps back to make a big leap forward, and that’s what the 2019 season could be for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

2019 record prediction: 78-84