The Pittsburgh Pirates have now played almost a month of regular-season baseball. In that time frame, many players have been surprises to the team, whether that is a positive or negative surprise. Let's take a look at three Pirates who have exceeded expectations so far this season.
Pirates Left Handed Pitcher : Bailey Falter
Bailey Falter was acquired at the 2023 trade deadline from the Phillies in exchange for Rodolfo Castro. After joining the team, Falter was given a rotation spot and struggled. With the Pirates in 2023, Falter posted an earned run average of 5.58 in 40.1 innings pitched and struck out 32 batters. He also had a 1.39 WHIP and an opponent batting average of .275.
Falter also struggled in this years Spring Training, but he still was given a spot on the team. He started the year off with a rough start against Miami. He gave up five runs to the first five batters of the game, but settled in after that.
Since that start in Miami, Falter has posted a 2-1 record with an earned run average of 1.57 in 23 innings pitched and has struck out 16 batters. He also has a 0.70 WHIP and an opponent batting average of .150. This is pure dominance from Falter and he has been a top arm in the Pirates rotation.