As a onetime resident of Pittsburgh (for two weeks), as a fan of underdogs, and as a fan of baseball, I've consistently been a fan of these 2010s Pirates teams. It took them a while to become one of the teams to watch, because they had to build on McCutchen, and build a team around him. Now that Cutch is hitting like himself again, the Pirates, while still not perfect, are playing some pretty fun baseball.
Josh Bell's a perfect example of this. He's a rookie first baseman, essentially filling a role that Pedro Alvarez made famous in Pittsburgh, and arguably doing it better this season. Him, Josh Harrison, Jordy Mercer, and *sigh* David Freese are making up a surprisingly potent infield. I've never really been a fan of Mercer, but if he's hitting, and...if he's not a felon like their other option, then it's all good.
The pitching's flawed but cool. Jameson Taillon and Ivan Nova are pitching well, Gerrit Cole's finally balancing his record back out, and Trevor Williams and Chad Kuhl are doing...adequately. Felipe Rivero's stepped up as closer, and he's been doing pretty well.
Again, thanks to some firesale deals, and I'm guessing there might be more in a few days, the Pirates aren't as strong as they could be, and are currently volleying for third with the Cardinals. They're far out of the playoff picture, and while there's a chance they could make it back, it's not a great one. Still, it's hella fun to root for them, and I'm always hoping for good things.
Coming Tomorrow- Two years ago, 'round this time, he was pitching for my team. Now, back from an injury, he's been pitching well for a struggling AL West team.
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