Now obviously this is an unrealistic expectation, after all "Vegas" rarely misses. But, this team might actually be somewhere in the middle, which would surpass all expectations regardless. The 2018 team went 82-79 on the year. They surpassed expectations but many try to forget that season for a lot of reasons.
That is not how this season will go. This Pittsburgh Pirates team is different. They have talent, motivations to get better, and desire to win. This team has been resilient already losing key players to longterm injuries such as Oneil Cruz, JT Brubaker, and Ji Man Choi.
It is okay to buy into this Pittsburgh Pirates team.
They are playing good Baseball and are a much better-constructed team than the last few years. Even if they cool off and end up not reaching that 82-win mark, this team has already shown the progress that fans have been promised.
Yes, Bob Nutting needs to spend more, yes they need to do a better job of keeping their players, and yes they need to be more competitive consistently. It is okay to still feel that way but is also okay to support what this team is doing on the field right now. Right now, this team is playing winning Baseball and fans are excited again. Let's enjoy it.