When the Rays were having their win streak, I kept insisting that the second they played an actual competitive team, then they'd even out and sort of revert to what they were supposed to be going into the season. The trouble is, not only did that not happen to the Rays, but that sorta happened to the Pirates..
...you know, the team that I like watching win.
Yes, this was bound to happen, because the Pirates do have inherent flaws and don't have the team that someone like the Brewers do, but...watching all these low-budget guys do well was awesome! Even in this series with the Blue Jays, where you know they're gonna wipe the floor with Pittsburgh, you still get to see these guys do well in points. Like, even during today's match against Colorado, most of the damning runs didn't get scored until after Rich Hill left the mound.
Even as this team sort of returns to earth's atmosphere, there are still standouts not only for Pittsburgh but for baseball in general. Mitch Keller's been having an excellent season, with a 4-1 record, a 2.72 ERA and 56 Ks. This is the ace performance the Pirates have been waiting for since he came up, and he's been the rock of a rotation that's lost Vince Velasquez and J.T. Brubaker to injuries and has seen Johan Oviedo get roughed up after a great start.
And then there's Jack Suwinski. Last year, Suwinski had an excellent power year with no real other dimensions. He also struck out 114 times in 106 games. I chalk this up to being 23 and a rookie. Now, Suwinski's improved on a lot of his 2022 troubles, and is having a dominant start to the year, with 19 RBIs, 7 homers, 5 steals and some improved outfield play. Even if Suwinski is the least starry outfielder by a wide margin, he's still one of the most efficient pieces on this team, and he's been one of the heroes during the come-up.
And you still have people like Bryan Reynolds, Andrew McCutchen, David Bednar, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Connor Joe, Carlos Santana and, IL notwithstanding, Vince Velasquez, who've been solid in multiple roles and have kept the team interesting and competitive. Though things have slowed down, the steady supply of new call-ups, including Chris Owings, Miguel Andujar, Luis Ortiz and Josh Palacios, are keeping things fresh and proving that the team is willing to try stuff.
I am thinking the Pirates are gonna drop out of first sooner or later, and while that may be an ego-bruise when it happens, the pressure will be off, and the Pirates will still be able to compete and thrive even if the 1st place distinction is gone. This team could still accomplish a lot, and it could still compete even as they stop being completely impenetrable.
Coming Tomorrow- In an alternate universe Cashman trades for this guy rather than Frankie Montas. Whether he stays healthy in that universe or not is another thing entirely.
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