Rum Bunter Staff 2020 Pittsburgh Pirates Predictions: Marty Leap

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PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 07: Manager Derek Shelton talks with Josh Bell #55 of the Pittsburgh Pirates during summer workouts at PNC Park on July 7, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 07: Manager Derek Shelton talks with Josh Bell #55 of the Pittsburgh Pirates during summer workouts at PNC Park on July 7, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

Pirate fans will enter the offseason feeling optimistic

The main reason for this is the expectations that players of the team’s core will have strong campaigns in 2020. This group includes Bryan Reynolds, Gregory Polanco, Jacob Stallings, Joe Msugrove, Josh Bell, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Kevin Newman, Nick Burdi, and Trevor Williams.

Another facet of it is having confidence in Ben Cherington to continue to work toward building a winner. This includes continuing to replenish a quickly ascending Pirate farm system, as well as adding to the young core.

But by the end of the 2020 season, confidence will return for fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates. By the end of the season, Pirate fans will be feeling optimistic entering the offseason and heading into 2021.

This not to say the team will make the postseason or anything of the sort. It’s not even to say they will finish with a winning record, we will get to the record prediction shortly, it is simply to say the young players that can be the team’s core moving forward will have a strong seasons. This combined with the vastly improved farm system Cherington is assembling, as well as the new culture and attitude created by Shelton and his staff, will create plenty of optimism for Pirate fans entering the offseason.