Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Pirates

 

After a decade of routinely being the worst team in baseball...and then a decade of competing...the Pirates are back....to, uh, being the worst team in baseball.

Yeah. The Bucs won 19 games this year, lost 41. Literally one player had a WAR over 1, and it's a guy who only played for 24 games [Ke'Bryan Hayes, if it's not obvious]. Everyone else, including marquee guys like Gregory Polanco had disappointing, underwhelming seasons. Polanco was once the youthful, speedy outfield bat, and this year he hit .153 with a club-leading 65 strikeouts. It's a season that has to make Pittsburgh fans wonder if he's worth the risk going forward.

2021 Prediction: Above-Mendoza-line number, but he's gonna be overshadowed by Reynolds and Hayes and will be on the bench by September.

Bryan Reynolds was poised for great things after his solid rookie year last year, and even he hit under .200, with a .189 average and 19 RBIs in 55 games, a poor sophomore statement. I do think Reynolds has a future of running this team, but he needs to put this season behind him as soon as he can.

2021 Prediction: Back to regular stats, but will do so in a way that stands out from the majority of the team. Not sure if it's too soon for trade talks, but it's an intriguing idea.

Adam Frazier at least had another strong year, covering the starting 2nd base position, and hitting .230 with a [sigh] CLUB LEADING 23 RBIs. He also led the team in hits with 48. For better or worse, Adam Frazier was one of the most consistent members of this team.

2021 Prediction: Another strong year, but I predict that Frazier will be one of many Pirates that changes hands at the deadline.

This statement says all you need to know about the Pirates this year- The Pirates' #1 starter and technical staff ace, Trevor Williams, who started a club-high 11 games....had a 2-8 record, a 6.18 ERA, and a 1.572 WHIP. And he has already been cut in preparation for the offseason. That says it all.

2021 Prediction: I do think someone will pick him up, but I don't know if his chances at a starting position or full roster longevity are especially high.

At the very least, the Pirates had some strong starters behind Williams and Joe Musgrove. Steven Brault may have been the best arm on the team, with a 3.38 ERA in 11 games, and 38 strikeouts. Brault has been pretty damn good when he's been healthy, and hopefully he'll continue the good work.

2021 Prediction: Doesn't make it to March before the Bucs trade him for prospects to a contender. He'll have a prime year. 

Chad Kuhl, after missing last year due to an injury, was back in full force for 2020. Kuhl had a 4.27 ERA in 9 starts, and 44 Ks. Not bad at all.

2021 Prediction: Will have an impressive start that, notice a theme here, will lead to opponents calling about his availability.

One of the bigger rotation surprises was J.T. Brubaker, a minor league regular for the Pirates who finally made his way to the majors, and started 9 games with a 4.94 ERA and 48 strikeouts, being the smallest name with the most surprising punch in Pittsburgh.

2021 Prediction: Similar numbers. In the Bucs rotations to follow, I expect Brubaker to be steadily mediocre.

Meanwhile, despite starting about as many games as he did in 2019, Mitch Keller still gave a mighty impression this year, with a 2.91 ERA and 16 Ks in 5 starts. The Pirates are convinced Keller is gonna be a powerful ace for them soon, and while I'm slightly less convinced, I'm taking any good stats this early as a good sign. 

2021 Prediction: Right as Keller starts having the breakthrough year the fans have been waiting for, he gets injured. 

Speaking of getting injured at the moment of a breakthrough, Phillip Evans, the former Mets prospect, was having a fantastic season at third, batting .359 with 9 RBIs in 11 games, some of the more impressive numbers of the early, barely-any-wins era of this team. Then, he gets injured in a scary collision and is out for the rest of the season. It's unfortunate, but...without it, Ke'Bryan Hayes never gets called up.

2021 Prediction: If he plays at all next season, it'll be off the bench.

Coming Tomorrow- Oh, what a mighty season the Rangers could have had if anything had gone according to plan...