Every once in a while I’ll switch horses and write about baseball, my favorite sport as a kid. With fresh ideas about our Penguins scarcer than a 1943 steel wheat penny? This is one of those instances.
To borrow a line from the immortal Harry Doyle in the celluloid hit, Major League, “in case you haven’t noticed” our Pittsburgh Pirates are playing some splendid baseball. Following on the heels on an ugly five-game losing binge, the kind Steel City baseball fans have become all-too-accustomed to, the battlin’ Buccos have gone 12-6, including series victories over the Blue Jays, Red Sox and now the Dodgers, the defending World Series champs.
In the process, they’ve reached the rarified .500 mark (51-51) under rookie manager and Pittsburgh native Don Kelly, who replaced Derek Shelton on May 8 after the Bucs plummeted out of the starting gate at a disgraceful 12-26 clip.
That’s a ton of improvement in relatively brief time. Is it real, or merely a case of smoke and mirrors?
I believe the former. Despite the pervading negativity that surrounds the club like an impenetrable shroud, Kelly has his charges playing competitive, fundamentally sound baseball. Quite a change from the bungling, Bad News Buccos under Morris Buttermaker…er…Shelton.
Even without Gold Glove third sacker Ke’Bryan Hayes, sent downstream to the Reds at the trade deadline, the defense has been solid. Even downright good. The pitching has been excellent, especially after paring fading lefties Bailey Falter and Andrew Heaney from the rotation. Even the much-maligned bats are contributing to the cause with some timely hits.
Perhaps just as important? The players appear to be bonding into a tight-knit bunch while developing a palpable esprit de corps. Not so much swag as a quiet confidence and belief in themselves.
Again, credit Kelly for instilling a much-needed positivity and sense of direction.
On to a touchier subject—GM Ben Cherrington. He’s been under fire pretty much the whole season. Certainly, some of the criticism is warranted. However, Cherrington also deserves an enormous amount of credit for assembling a young, fireballing pitching staff that’s quickly becoming the envy of MLB.
Boasting Cy Young candidate Paul Skenes, former All-Star Mitch Keller, Johan Oviedo and swingmen Braxton Ashcraft, Mike Burrows, Carmen Mlodzinski, not to mention newest sensation, Bubba Chandler, our rotation could potentially go seven-deep. That doesn’t include Jared Jones, on the mend from an internal brace procedure on his right (throwing) elbow.
The bullpen, anchored by 29-year-old castoffs Dennis Santana and Isaac Mattson, has been surprisingly tough.
As for the lineup? Still admittedly a work in progress. Despite the presence of Oneil Cruz, the club lacks anything resembling a consistent power bat. Mired in a ghastly 6-for-59 slump (.102) entering Thursday night’s series finale against the Dodgers, the mega-gifted Statcast phenom appears to be totally lost at the plate, with no idea of how to adjust to the endless stream of slop pitches and breaking balls he’s seeing.
Perhaps a special hitting instructor dedicated solely to Cruz would help. The raw talent’s there. But for now, the big guy’s getting eaten alive.
I digress.
On the plus side, paced by veterans Tommy Pham, Andrew McCutchen and Bryan Reynolds, the Bucs are embracing an opportunistic, offense by committee approach. Pham, in particular, has emerged as an edgy, old-school leader reminiscent of A.J. Burnett, not to mention clutch hitter.
To Kelly’s credit, he’s giving the kids plenty of runway to show what they can do. Some such as Nick Gonzales and Jared Triolo, are flourishing. Others, most notably former first-overall pick Henry Davis and once promising outfielder Jack Suwinski, have struggled. But they’re at least getting their licks.
Despite his difficulties at the plate, Davis is blossoming into a fine defensive catcher. Nobody works harder.
There’s still a long way to go before the Pirates become a legit playoff contender. This off-season will critical. It’s imperative Cherrington, if he’s still running the show, lands a middle-of-the-lineup thumper or two to support the young pitchers.
Given his consistent brilliance, it’s criminal Skenes (2.05 ERA) has only a pedestrian 9-9 record to show for his supreme efforts. However, with power-hitting top pick Konnor Griffin rising through the system faster than a loaf of leavened bread, for the first time in a long while there’s real hope for better days ahead.
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Hey all,
Looks like I unwittingly unleashed the dreaded PenguinPoop Curse on the poor Buccos, who were outscored by the Brewers over the weekend in three losses by a combined 19-5.
Guess it's fair to say there's still work to be done...
Rick
...and the Buccos continue to sink, dropping six in a row to the Brewers and Orioles. Man, I really did a number on them... :(
Since the exact opposite of what I predict generally occurs, I'm going to predict Oneil Cruz will not reach 20 home runs this season (he's got 19).
Hopefully the PP Curse doesn't understand reverse psychology... lol.
Rick
Rick
It’s hard to feel optimistic about the Pirates given several glaring issues. In key situations, players such as Pham, Triolo, and Reynolds etc...etc.... failed to deliver at the plate. Triolo, despite a solid stretch of play recently, is nearly 28 and still hitting just .226. His defense is reliable, but the Pirates cannot expect to contend seriously while relying on corner infielders who lack power production.
Even O’Neil Cruz, while blessed with rare physical tools, continues to show a lack of hitter’s IQ. His approach at the plate remains inconsistent, and his inability to adjust in critical moments limits his true impact on the lineup.
Far too often, this organization insists on turning utility players into everyday starters—a clear cost-cutting tactic rather than a genuine effort to build a competitive roster. Until the front office commits to adding legitimate bats to the lineup, the team’s strong pitching staff will continue to be wasted. With just a couple of proven hitters, the Pirates could easily find themselves in Post Season play next year.
Things that frustrate me about the Pirates?
What the H__l is their hitting approach?
Can anyone on this team hit a curve ball?
I love Gonzales aggressive approach, but Lord they don't have to throw a strike to get him out. Add Cruz
Will someone please work with Henry Davis - every swing is with the intention to hit it out of the park, and
they need to teach him to go with the pitch. He's trying to pull 98mph fastballs for God Sake.a
Could someone please give Cruz a shot of "Urgency" way, way to lackidaisical for my liking. "So gifted"
Your thoughts - Hope all is well, you've definitely out done yourself this off-season. Great work.
Hey Mike,
I hear ya, especially regarding Cruz. Such an incredible talent…the sky’s literally the limit if he could harness it…but as you pointed out, his mental approach appears to be almost non-existent. Very reminiscent of Gregory Polanco, who spent most of his last couple of seasons striking out on breaking balls low and away that he couldn't hit and couldn't lay off.
I do feel for Cruz. He gets absolutely nothing to hit, and he has no one batting behind him to offer any protection or force the pitcher’s hand. But pitchers seem to work to a plan of sneaking a fastball past him early, then getting him chase slop to get him down in the count. Someone has to help him think through this. Right now, he’s back on his heels.
Agree about Davis. Love the kid’s attitude and try, but he does seem like he tries to kill everything. Also, is it my imagination, or does he have a hole in his swing that manifests itself on high fastballs, his pitch of choice? He’ll seem to be in the right swing track, yet somehow his bat appears to loop around the ball at the point of contact. I wonder if it’s a function of his stocky build…like his arms almost pull the bat out of the way?
Jack Suwinski’s another kid who seems to have lost his way. Twenty-six home runs two years ago, a .132 average this season. He seems to prefer a patient approach, but winds up taking pitches he should swing at before striking out on slop breaking balls.
Regarding hitting approach. This isn’t meant to disparage Matt Hague or his abilities, but he had all of 19 hits in his major-league career. A friend likened it to taking golf lessons from a guy who shoots in the ‘90s.
Despite all this, I do think they’re showing real signs of coming together as a team. But it’s imperative they find a way to add a couple of legit power bats to support the pitching. In a best-case scenario, perhaps Griffin is one of them.
Thanks for the compliments about this summer... :)
Rick
Rick
Love the Matt Hague analogy!! As for Davis I totally agree - to hit high fastballs you have to be able to adjust the
height of your swing then square up by leveling off - all in one motion "can you say Manny Sanguillen". I think in
Henry's case he be better off taking the pitch.
As for Cruz, I also feel sorry for him, and you're right he has no protection in the lineup. I think I would be more
sympathetic if he played with passion, urgency, and intensity. It's like watching a Basketball player putting up
18pts & 10rebs, but he should of scored 30pts and pulled down 18rebs. It's a Coaches nightmare.
Hey all,
Just a quickie follow-up. The Bucs completed their 3-game sweep of the Dodgers last night and are now 52-51 under Don Kelly. Skenes, who pitched 6 shutout innings, improved to 10-9 with a major-league leading 1.98 ERA.
We'll see how they fare against the Brewers, who've pretty much dominated them.
Rick