Pittsburgh Pirates: Projecting 2021 Starting Rotation After Trading Jameson Taillon

Ace… Steven Brault?

Who the hell is going to be at the top of the starting rotation for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021? That’s a great question!

If Opening Day was tomorrow the starter would likely be lefty Steven Brault. In 11 games last season, 10 starts, Brault had a career-best 3.38 ERA and 3.92 FIP in 42.2 innings of work. While his 12.4% walk rate was the highest of his career, so was his 21.3% strikeout rate.

Brault also did an excellent job limiting opposing batter’s quality contact. His 85.8 MPH exit velocity ranked in the 89th percentile in baseball, his 4.4% barrel rate was in the 83rd percentile and his 32.7% hard hit rate was in the 76th percentile.

Dating back to late May of 2019, Brault appears to have turned a corner as a MLB pitcher. In 29 games pitched, 27 starts, since May 24th, 2019, Brault has posted a 4.16 ERA and a 4.20 FIP in 136.1 innings pitched. He has allowed home runs at just a 0.79 HR/9 rate, while walking 10.5% of batters faced and striking out 20.1%.

All of that said, there have also been trade rumors swirling around Brault this offseason and it would not be a surprise to see him also get traded before the start of the season. If Brault is still a Pirate by Opening Day, look for him to sit at the top of the rotation to start the season.