The Pittsburgh Pirates have the starting rotation to scare teams should they make the postseason. A three-game Wild Card series having to go against Mitch Keller, Jared Jones and Paul Skenes could derail any team’s postseason hopes.
While the Pittsburgh Pirates have some questions at the back end of their bullpen, David Bednar has gotten back on track after a slow start as the closer. Colin Holderman has been stellar as the setup man as well. Aroldis Chapman is a seasoned veteran at the back end as well.
The strength of this team is their starting pitching and will be for the future. All are under team control for years to come, along with Bailey Falter. The pipeline has more help coming on the way in terms of arms, too.
If this team wants to make a run, they need to upgrade the lineup. The Pittsburgh Pirates are 26th in batting average, 27th in on-base percentage and 28th in slugging. They have massive holes at several spots in their lineup, getting virtually zero production from catcher, first base, third base and centerfield.
Only six batters this season are league average in OPS+ and two of them are non-qualified players. Had the Pittsburgh Pirates had a little stronger offense, they could be in control of a Wild Card spot in the National League.
How disappointing has their lineup been? As shared by Dan Zangrilli, the pre and post-game host of the Pittsburgh Pirates on 93.7 The Fan, they have 17 losses this season when their pitcher goes at least six innings.
The starting rotation is doing everything they are being asked of. Not only are they eating up innings, they are dominating when on the mound. Some of those late-game losses can be pinned on bullpen woes, but a lot of it is on the offense.
The major league average for runs scored per game is 4.35 this season. On the season, when scoring 4+ runs per game, the Pittsburgh Pirates are 29-9. They already have 14 losses this season when giving up four or fewer runs and have been held to one or no runs 17 times.
If they want to make a run at the postseason, their needs are clear. Adding one or two bats to this lineup would greatly improve the team’s chances to win games behind a dominant pitching staff.
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