Cisco Kid

(Music Pun #8- Going for some old school classic rock here)

For a Yankee fan like me, it's impossible not to have a soft spot for Francisco Cervelli. The guy was a solid backup catcher for the Bronx for 5 years, then FINALLY got a starting gig for a breezy, fun Pirates squad, where he's become one of the charter members of a surprisingly nice lineup.

However, as far as the 2018 Pirates go...despite a surprisingly sharp start to the season, they're now in fourth place, slightly below .500. Which...to be honest, is where we all kinda thought they'd be eventually. But...not like this.

The Pirates, at this point, are just offensively okay. Only five players really stand out right now: Francisco Cervelli, Jameson Taillon, Corey Dickerson, Austin Meadows and Starling Marte. Dickerson is currently on leave, but the other four are currently doing pretty well. Everyone else...has just gelled into a mediocrity that has taken over the entire rest of the team. Nobody on the lineup has hit more than 9 home runs, nobody in the rotation has an ERA lower than 3.50, the bullpen is excessively mediocre, and there's just not a ton of momentum around, even with the guys that ARE playing well.

I mean, all's not exactly lost for the Pirates; there's still hope enough for the team's future, with Meadows and fellow rookie Colin Moran playing pretty damned well at the present moment, and Joe Musgrove giving some signs of life from the back end of the rotation. But, the bulk of the ineptitude is coming from veterans, especially people like Josh Bell and Gregory Polanco who SHOULD BE doing better than they are right now.

The Bucs may be out for the count this year, as they're 8 games behind the opposition, and said opposition includes the Brewers and Cubs. I'm not saying they're dead, but they need to figure out how to save the rest of their season or else they will be.

Coming Tonight- A hard-hitting veteran second baseman who didn't think he'd be playing for another floundering AL team this year, and yet here we are.