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 Rookie of the Year – Nick Burdi

The Pirates informed a few players that they made the roster on Tuesday, one of which being RHP Nick Burdi. Once a top prospect in the Minnesota Twins system, Burdi has had an up-and-down career to this point, in large part due to injuries.

Prior to being selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Rule 5 Draft, and subsequently traded to the Buccos for $500,000 of international signing bonus money, the 26-year old Illinois native underwent Tommy John surgery in May of 2017.

After spending much of the 2018 season recovering from the surgery, Burdi struggled in 10 appearances sprinkled across three levels in the minors, recording a 5.73 ERA in 11 IP. Despite that, he got a taste of the big leagues in September, logging 1.1 IP from his two games out of the bullpen.

This spring, Burdi looked like a new pitcher. In nine games, the former second round pick struck out an impressive 13 batters in 10 IP, allowing just two runs and an opponent batting average of .147. Although he may never become what he once was touted as when he was a prospect, Burdi can earn a larger role in a bullpen that still has a few question marks.

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