The Pirates not only came through their important 10 game homestead with flying colors, but then took 3 of 4 from the hated Phils in Philly. We have won 10 of the last 13 and are leading in the suspended game. This is great news for the Pirates.
It is made even better by the fact that Andrew McCutchen is in a bit of an unnoticed slump. McCutchen is hitting only .235 and has a lower walk rate right now than in years past. Although he has a lower strike out rate as well, his BABIP is a measly .250. This gives one reason to hope that Andrew will break out in a big way. But the important thing is the Pirates are winning without him hitting. Add in the fact that Neil Walker is not hitting that well either, and we see that the Pirates may have actually found an offense.
In years past Neil Walker going down ended the offense as people were able to pitch around McCutchen. Now we have a lead off hitter in Marte who is playing great. We have a platoon that appears to be working at first and in right. We have Pedro who hits homers and nothing else. We have a catcher who is a power threat and that is enough to give our decent starting pitching and our great bullpen wins.
Let's hope that the platoon continues to work as that still is the place that concerns me. Better pitchers are on the way as Morton is looking good, and Lirano is stretching out. Both are an improvement over Sanchez.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Saturday, April 13, 2013
An important homestand
These next 10 games could really set the tone for the year. Reds, Cards, Braves. It started off scary, but with a win last night. It is important that the Pirates are still within a few games and have won some of these series. It is early to say that this homestead is make or break, but it as close as you can get. The Pirates could easily come out of this homestead in first place, or in last. Everything is set up for us from pitching to having a day off before it started. This is "almost must win territory".
That being said, the Pirates have some good stuff going on in the minors right now. You have to think that by July the starting pitching will be 3/5ths different. You would also think that the Pirates might have some new bench players. Jordy Mercer in particular is going to be hard to ignore if he keeps hitting so well, and the guys in the majors hit so poorly. Bullpen help is already on the way with Brian Morris. Vic Black is doing well and could be another. If Tony Watson continues to struggle, one would imagine he may disappear from the big league roster.
Either way, keep an eye on these games. We are not exactly know for making late season charges, so we had better take advantage early, like right now.
That being said, the Pirates have some good stuff going on in the minors right now. You have to think that by July the starting pitching will be 3/5ths different. You would also think that the Pirates might have some new bench players. Jordy Mercer in particular is going to be hard to ignore if he keeps hitting so well, and the guys in the majors hit so poorly. Bullpen help is already on the way with Brian Morris. Vic Black is doing well and could be another. If Tony Watson continues to struggle, one would imagine he may disappear from the big league roster.
Either way, keep an eye on these games. We are not exactly know for making late season charges, so we had better take advantage early, like right now.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
A Day Off to talk about Stetson Allie
The Pirates could not get the sweep and in fact got blown out. But I am not too worried yet because the pitcher was a guy who will be replaced as soon as Karstens or Morton or Lirano get back from the DL. He is not part of the long term team so his success is not that important.
So we might as well focus on the Farm System, and particularly a surprising story from West Virginia in Stetson Allie. Allie you will remember was a second round pick who could hit 100 on the radar gun, but never got the control. So, last year they converted him back to an infielder. I believe he played third base last year, and not that well in Rookie Ball. Well, that was last year.
This year he is in West Virginia and playing first base. He is currently hitting .333 with 2 HRs and 2 doubles. He has 4 walks and 10 Ks. However, almost half those Ks came in the first two games where he struggled a lot. Allie's OPS is 1.012. Even better news is he seems to be able to do it against both righties and lefties with a homer off of each. If you throw out those first two games, his numbers get real scary good. He is currently riding a 5 game hit streak coming into today's game.
It is real early, and Allie could return to last year's .213 AVG and 3 HRs in 40+ games in rookie ball, but the fact he is playing full season ball and doing well is a great sign. Remember he came out of high school so he is actually about where he should be if he had gone to college. He would either be in his senior year of college right now and bound to play in Short Season ball or if he had come out as a junior would probably be starting the season at WV anyway. I admit to being depressed a little when he flamed out as a pitcher, and I dropped him off my top prospect list, but it was always mentioned how much he loved to hit and how good he was at it in High School. He can play his way back onto the prospect list if he keeps this up. It is far too early to give up on him.
So we might as well focus on the Farm System, and particularly a surprising story from West Virginia in Stetson Allie. Allie you will remember was a second round pick who could hit 100 on the radar gun, but never got the control. So, last year they converted him back to an infielder. I believe he played third base last year, and not that well in Rookie Ball. Well, that was last year.
This year he is in West Virginia and playing first base. He is currently hitting .333 with 2 HRs and 2 doubles. He has 4 walks and 10 Ks. However, almost half those Ks came in the first two games where he struggled a lot. Allie's OPS is 1.012. Even better news is he seems to be able to do it against both righties and lefties with a homer off of each. If you throw out those first two games, his numbers get real scary good. He is currently riding a 5 game hit streak coming into today's game.
It is real early, and Allie could return to last year's .213 AVG and 3 HRs in 40+ games in rookie ball, but the fact he is playing full season ball and doing well is a great sign. Remember he came out of high school so he is actually about where he should be if he had gone to college. He would either be in his senior year of college right now and bound to play in Short Season ball or if he had come out as a junior would probably be starting the season at WV anyway. I admit to being depressed a little when he flamed out as a pitcher, and I dropped him off my top prospect list, but it was always mentioned how much he loved to hit and how good he was at it in High School. He can play his way back onto the prospect list if he keeps this up. It is far too early to give up on him.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Forget LA, what about Phil Irwin
The Pirates looked absolutely awful in LA. Admittedly Zack Grienke and Clayton Kershaw can do that to bats, but still, it was embarrassing. If not for McCutchen's homer, I think I may have given up all hope for this season.
The good news is we looked a lot better today in Arizona. An early lead, McCutchen driving in multiple runs, and in the end a great bullpen performance leading to a victory. Marte and McCutchen look great. Jones hit a homer, which is a hopeful sign, and Travis Snider has gotten a few hits now. Hopefully Alvarez comes around soon, and maybe Walker too. Then we could have a real offense.
The bad news is that Wandy Rodriguiz left with a leg problem that has been described as a hamstring issue. That is not so good, as both our wins came on his starts. I am not sure the Pirates can afford to add him to the list of Karstens, Morton, and Lirano of good pitchers not pitching.
If he does go on the DL, what I would like to see is a promotion of Phil Irwin. I really like this guy. He just gets the job done. His first start this year was six good innings. One walk, one run, five strikeouts. He has done nothing but win at every level. He does not have the blow your mind speed on the fastball, but he has the results, and he deserves a shot. I like him better than McPherson, at least at this point. I say, bring up Irwin and let him have a shot.
I would rather Wandy not go on the DL at all, but just thinking out loud.
The good news is we looked a lot better today in Arizona. An early lead, McCutchen driving in multiple runs, and in the end a great bullpen performance leading to a victory. Marte and McCutchen look great. Jones hit a homer, which is a hopeful sign, and Travis Snider has gotten a few hits now. Hopefully Alvarez comes around soon, and maybe Walker too. Then we could have a real offense.
The bad news is that Wandy Rodriguiz left with a leg problem that has been described as a hamstring issue. That is not so good, as both our wins came on his starts. I am not sure the Pirates can afford to add him to the list of Karstens, Morton, and Lirano of good pitchers not pitching.
If he does go on the DL, what I would like to see is a promotion of Phil Irwin. I really like this guy. He just gets the job done. His first start this year was six good innings. One walk, one run, five strikeouts. He has done nothing but win at every level. He does not have the blow your mind speed on the fastball, but he has the results, and he deserves a shot. I like him better than McPherson, at least at this point. I say, bring up Irwin and let him have a shot.
I would rather Wandy not go on the DL at all, but just thinking out loud.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Disappointing Opening
The Pirates dropped their opening series to the Cubs of all teams. Not exactly an overwhelming endorsement for the season.
But, there is some good to come of it. The Pirate rotation looks good. Burnett and Wandy were dominating. Unbelievable in fact. I had huge concerns about James McDonald coming into the season. Was the first half of last season a fluke? Well, that may still be up in the air, but he pitched well in last night's game. Not a ton of strike outs, but he only gave up one run. That ought to be enough for a team to pull out a win or at least have a lead. Not so with the Pirates pathetic offense.
The offense is currently the problem, but then again, it is early. Cutch looks great. Alvarez has hit okay, although had an 0-fer yesterday. I am not sure why Clint put Martin hitting second yesterday. This team's offense is going to be dependent on Marte, Cutch, Alvarez, and Walker. If we want to win we are going to need to get something from the others. Right now the best candidate is Clint Barmes. Yikes. Jones, Sanchez, and/or Martin need to hit with some power and soon.
What was actually more disappointing is the four opening day losses for our minor leagues. Ouch. Hansen (who I am not sold on), and Polanco were held hitless in Bradenton. West Virginia got blanked. Altoona had some good hitting, but no pitching, and Indy had some pitching without real hitting. The lone bright spots were Jason Creasy pitching 3 innings of one run ball. I like that kid. Victor Black striking out the side (his next inning not as good), and the fact that no injuries took place.
Here is to a better second series in LA.
But, there is some good to come of it. The Pirate rotation looks good. Burnett and Wandy were dominating. Unbelievable in fact. I had huge concerns about James McDonald coming into the season. Was the first half of last season a fluke? Well, that may still be up in the air, but he pitched well in last night's game. Not a ton of strike outs, but he only gave up one run. That ought to be enough for a team to pull out a win or at least have a lead. Not so with the Pirates pathetic offense.
The offense is currently the problem, but then again, it is early. Cutch looks great. Alvarez has hit okay, although had an 0-fer yesterday. I am not sure why Clint put Martin hitting second yesterday. This team's offense is going to be dependent on Marte, Cutch, Alvarez, and Walker. If we want to win we are going to need to get something from the others. Right now the best candidate is Clint Barmes. Yikes. Jones, Sanchez, and/or Martin need to hit with some power and soon.
What was actually more disappointing is the four opening day losses for our minor leagues. Ouch. Hansen (who I am not sold on), and Polanco were held hitless in Bradenton. West Virginia got blanked. Altoona had some good hitting, but no pitching, and Indy had some pitching without real hitting. The lone bright spots were Jason Creasy pitching 3 innings of one run ball. I like that kid. Victor Black striking out the side (his next inning not as good), and the fact that no injuries took place.
Here is to a better second series in LA.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Preview and Prediction
The 2012 season starts today!!!!
The Pirates start the season with what I have to admit is a bit of a disappointing line up. But, this is largely because I am a huge Jordy Mercer fan. I think he should have a shot, and his spot as the infield back up was taken by a suspect trade for an older Short Stop, who will sit the bench. I don't have that big a problem with Josh Harrison making the club. He puts the ball in play and plays with energy. I hope he does not lose his spot when Brandon Inge comes off the DL. The Pirates have to start trusting their farm system.
The real concern for the Pirates is the bench. There is not a big time power threat on the bench unless you count Gaby Sanchez. Snider and Tabata have potential, but also give you more reason to think they are going to fail than succeed.
The line up should be improved. Marte's performance will go a long way to how well the Pirates do this year. They need his bat. Martin should be a big improvement at catcher. I also think we will get a slightly better year from Alvarez. I know I am going against stats projections here, but I think his average comes up a bit this year. Not a lot, but enough. Walker really needs to avoid an injury for us to stay in contention this year. Top to bottom this is a better offensive team in the starting line up.
The Rotation does not worry me as much because it will be totally different by mid June. Karstens and Morton will be back in June and around that time will be when Cole can be called up. Burrnett and Rodreguiz are solid 1 and 2, and hopefully James McDonald can put together a full season with some strike outs. Plus, Locke is ready in my opinion.
The bullpen is also not a big concern to me. We have plenty of depth in the minors and I think Grilli will be fine as a closer. In the end, we may not have as dominate a bullpen, but I think it will be fine.
I do think (again) that this is the year we break the curse. I am going to go with 88-74. This will only get us a Wild Card birth in my opinion.
Here are my picks for the year:
AL East - Toronto
AL Central - Detroit
AL West - Oakland
Wild Cards - Tampa Bay and LA Angels
NL East - Washington
NL Central - Cincy
NL West - Dodgers
Wild Cards - Giants and Pirates
I am going to go ahead and pick the Blue Jays to win the Series over the Nationals.
It should be an exciting year.
The Pirates start the season with what I have to admit is a bit of a disappointing line up. But, this is largely because I am a huge Jordy Mercer fan. I think he should have a shot, and his spot as the infield back up was taken by a suspect trade for an older Short Stop, who will sit the bench. I don't have that big a problem with Josh Harrison making the club. He puts the ball in play and plays with energy. I hope he does not lose his spot when Brandon Inge comes off the DL. The Pirates have to start trusting their farm system.
The real concern for the Pirates is the bench. There is not a big time power threat on the bench unless you count Gaby Sanchez. Snider and Tabata have potential, but also give you more reason to think they are going to fail than succeed.
The line up should be improved. Marte's performance will go a long way to how well the Pirates do this year. They need his bat. Martin should be a big improvement at catcher. I also think we will get a slightly better year from Alvarez. I know I am going against stats projections here, but I think his average comes up a bit this year. Not a lot, but enough. Walker really needs to avoid an injury for us to stay in contention this year. Top to bottom this is a better offensive team in the starting line up.
The Rotation does not worry me as much because it will be totally different by mid June. Karstens and Morton will be back in June and around that time will be when Cole can be called up. Burrnett and Rodreguiz are solid 1 and 2, and hopefully James McDonald can put together a full season with some strike outs. Plus, Locke is ready in my opinion.
The bullpen is also not a big concern to me. We have plenty of depth in the minors and I think Grilli will be fine as a closer. In the end, we may not have as dominate a bullpen, but I think it will be fine.
I do think (again) that this is the year we break the curse. I am going to go with 88-74. This will only get us a Wild Card birth in my opinion.
Here are my picks for the year:
AL East - Toronto
AL Central - Detroit
AL West - Oakland
Wild Cards - Tampa Bay and LA Angels
NL East - Washington
NL Central - Cincy
NL West - Dodgers
Wild Cards - Giants and Pirates
I am going to go ahead and pick the Blue Jays to win the Series over the Nationals.
It should be an exciting year.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Prospect List
Pitchers and Catchers are in!!!! Time to get started on another season of Pirate baseball. And for the first time in a long time the Prospects are deep in the system and the future feels solid. So, it is time for my top 20 Prospects.
1. Gerrit Cole - Really, really excited about his appearance this year. He made it to AAA and a slightly less than impressive year for Tailon gives him the top spot.
2. Jameson Tailon - Still great. Probably going back to AA, but he still has ace stuff.
3. Luis Heredia - I may be a little higher on this kid than some, but all agree he has ace upside. I think what he did as a 17 year old in Short Season ball last year was amazing. He may have a way to go, but I think he is the 3rd best prospect.
4. Josh Bell - Remember when everyone was so high on this kid that he was sometimes listed as the second best prospect or at least 3rd? Sure he got hurt and his knee did not heal as fast as we would have liked. But, there is no reason to think his skills have declined. He started a little slow, but was coming around when he got hurt.
5. Gregory Polanco - What an amazing year last year. He has the tools to play. I don't quite understand why people push him ahead of Bell so quickly, but still a lot to be excited about here.
6. Tyler Glasnow - Most do not have this young man so high, but he can hit 96, and seems comfortable at 94. Sure he has some control issues, but who doesn't at 18. He has good movement on his fastball, and one can expect his curve to get better and a change up to be developed.
7. Dilson Herrera - This is probably not who you expected to see here. But I think Dilson got the short end of the publicity stick last year. Dilson hit GCL pitching very well. He led the GCL in total bases and extra bases, which I think could turn into power as he gets older. Bat speed equals power not frame right? He had 7 homers. He can field second base without a problem, and does not strike out a whole lot. And let us not forget that he had an amazing hitting streak in the VSL two years ago that I believe topped 20 games. The kid can play.
8. Nick Kingham - I have been high on this guy since he was drafted, and I still am. He can throw 93, and has a nice curve. He got promoted to High A, and still seemed to be consistent. I expect he may start there again, but will get a mid season up grade to AA. He is a number 3 starter and maybe a 2.
9. Clay Holmes - He throws in the low 90s and could add more velocity as his frame fills out. He has a curve that projects well, and he pitched in State College showing fairly well. A big test for him this year as he goes to full season ball.
10. Kyle McPherson - It seems odd to have a guy who might be on the staff by the end of year this low on the list. This is new for the Pirates. He pitched a little at the major league level last year and has the arm to do it. He should start in AAA as he only had a handful of starts there. Great fastball, and now with a taste of the bigs under his belt, I expect he will do very well.
11. Alen Hanson - WHAT? Hanson down out of the top 10? Yes, I am not as high on Hanson as most. Don't get me wrong, the kid looks to have an amazing bat and a good eye to boot. Pretty rare for a Pirate these days. But 40 errors! Man oh man that is a lot. He cannot stay at short. Not with those kind of errors. And they are not Shawn Dustin errors where his arm is just too jacked up to throw straight. No, he has glove trouble. And I hope they put him at second this year because he needs the practice at where he is going to stick. And I can't see it at short.
12. Vic Black - This guy is a future closer. I think this is why you trade Hanrahan. Let Grilli close this year while Black gets some AAA time, and next year with Black as your set up man. And then Black gets the job full time. He can do 98 on his fastball and has a curve ball that is above average. I hear he is adding a two seam fastball. This should help with throwing strikes to avoid walks which is his problem right now. But what closer does not make things interesting.
13. Wyatt Mathisen - He hit well for a high schooler, and more importantly he walked almost as much as he struck out. Another rare feat for a high school kid. He played short in high school, and that added dimension makes him a high rated prospect for me.
14. Barret Barnes - He seemed to be a fine hitter, but I don't think he will stay in center. The defensive versatility of Mathisen pushed Barnes down a slot.
15. Bryan Morris - I admit I have never been very high on Morris, but he had a good enough year in the pen in AAA last year to make me think he can contribute in a major league pen. He will probably make the team out of camp as he is out of options.
16. Tony Sanchez - His good defense keeps him in the top 20, but his inability to hit makes him the second best catcher in the organization right now. He looks like a bench catcher, and that is not good enough. I hope he hits for some average and power as he has been unable to put them together.
17. Justin Wilson - sometimes I forget this guy should qualify as a prospect. He was up in 2011 out of the pen. And again last year. He should stay in the pen. He is not going to make it as a starter, and he is not going to lower his walks either. Good enough stuff to keep him in the top 20.
18. Phil Irwin - I have not seen Irwin get enough credit. He just does not have the velocity or flare for it. But his stats don't lie. The kid wins. He had a 117/24 K/BB ratio, and that includes a 28/7 ratio in AAA where he only pitched 21 innings and posted a 3-0 record.
19. Jose Osuna - Hard to say if he deserves it, but played well at Single A. He hit .280 slugged over .450 and his OPS was near .800. And surprisingly he only had a 15% strikeout rate. We will see what he does this year at High A.
20. Colten Brewer - While I could have gone a lot of ways here (Duke Welker, Andy Oliver, Adrian Sampson, Willy Garcia, etc) I went with Colten. He held his own last year in the GCL. He had a 2 to 1 K to BB ratio, and only gave up three homers. He is young, and is going to get faster on his fastball, and better all around. I think that makes his upside a little higher than the others.
I know this list is a bit controversial. But overall I am excited about this team.
Bring on the season.
1. Gerrit Cole - Really, really excited about his appearance this year. He made it to AAA and a slightly less than impressive year for Tailon gives him the top spot.
2. Jameson Tailon - Still great. Probably going back to AA, but he still has ace stuff.
3. Luis Heredia - I may be a little higher on this kid than some, but all agree he has ace upside. I think what he did as a 17 year old in Short Season ball last year was amazing. He may have a way to go, but I think he is the 3rd best prospect.
4. Josh Bell - Remember when everyone was so high on this kid that he was sometimes listed as the second best prospect or at least 3rd? Sure he got hurt and his knee did not heal as fast as we would have liked. But, there is no reason to think his skills have declined. He started a little slow, but was coming around when he got hurt.
5. Gregory Polanco - What an amazing year last year. He has the tools to play. I don't quite understand why people push him ahead of Bell so quickly, but still a lot to be excited about here.
6. Tyler Glasnow - Most do not have this young man so high, but he can hit 96, and seems comfortable at 94. Sure he has some control issues, but who doesn't at 18. He has good movement on his fastball, and one can expect his curve to get better and a change up to be developed.
7. Dilson Herrera - This is probably not who you expected to see here. But I think Dilson got the short end of the publicity stick last year. Dilson hit GCL pitching very well. He led the GCL in total bases and extra bases, which I think could turn into power as he gets older. Bat speed equals power not frame right? He had 7 homers. He can field second base without a problem, and does not strike out a whole lot. And let us not forget that he had an amazing hitting streak in the VSL two years ago that I believe topped 20 games. The kid can play.
8. Nick Kingham - I have been high on this guy since he was drafted, and I still am. He can throw 93, and has a nice curve. He got promoted to High A, and still seemed to be consistent. I expect he may start there again, but will get a mid season up grade to AA. He is a number 3 starter and maybe a 2.
9. Clay Holmes - He throws in the low 90s and could add more velocity as his frame fills out. He has a curve that projects well, and he pitched in State College showing fairly well. A big test for him this year as he goes to full season ball.
10. Kyle McPherson - It seems odd to have a guy who might be on the staff by the end of year this low on the list. This is new for the Pirates. He pitched a little at the major league level last year and has the arm to do it. He should start in AAA as he only had a handful of starts there. Great fastball, and now with a taste of the bigs under his belt, I expect he will do very well.
11. Alen Hanson - WHAT? Hanson down out of the top 10? Yes, I am not as high on Hanson as most. Don't get me wrong, the kid looks to have an amazing bat and a good eye to boot. Pretty rare for a Pirate these days. But 40 errors! Man oh man that is a lot. He cannot stay at short. Not with those kind of errors. And they are not Shawn Dustin errors where his arm is just too jacked up to throw straight. No, he has glove trouble. And I hope they put him at second this year because he needs the practice at where he is going to stick. And I can't see it at short.
12. Vic Black - This guy is a future closer. I think this is why you trade Hanrahan. Let Grilli close this year while Black gets some AAA time, and next year with Black as your set up man. And then Black gets the job full time. He can do 98 on his fastball and has a curve ball that is above average. I hear he is adding a two seam fastball. This should help with throwing strikes to avoid walks which is his problem right now. But what closer does not make things interesting.
13. Wyatt Mathisen - He hit well for a high schooler, and more importantly he walked almost as much as he struck out. Another rare feat for a high school kid. He played short in high school, and that added dimension makes him a high rated prospect for me.
14. Barret Barnes - He seemed to be a fine hitter, but I don't think he will stay in center. The defensive versatility of Mathisen pushed Barnes down a slot.
15. Bryan Morris - I admit I have never been very high on Morris, but he had a good enough year in the pen in AAA last year to make me think he can contribute in a major league pen. He will probably make the team out of camp as he is out of options.
16. Tony Sanchez - His good defense keeps him in the top 20, but his inability to hit makes him the second best catcher in the organization right now. He looks like a bench catcher, and that is not good enough. I hope he hits for some average and power as he has been unable to put them together.
17. Justin Wilson - sometimes I forget this guy should qualify as a prospect. He was up in 2011 out of the pen. And again last year. He should stay in the pen. He is not going to make it as a starter, and he is not going to lower his walks either. Good enough stuff to keep him in the top 20.
18. Phil Irwin - I have not seen Irwin get enough credit. He just does not have the velocity or flare for it. But his stats don't lie. The kid wins. He had a 117/24 K/BB ratio, and that includes a 28/7 ratio in AAA where he only pitched 21 innings and posted a 3-0 record.
19. Jose Osuna - Hard to say if he deserves it, but played well at Single A. He hit .280 slugged over .450 and his OPS was near .800. And surprisingly he only had a 15% strikeout rate. We will see what he does this year at High A.
20. Colten Brewer - While I could have gone a lot of ways here (Duke Welker, Andy Oliver, Adrian Sampson, Willy Garcia, etc) I went with Colten. He held his own last year in the GCL. He had a 2 to 1 K to BB ratio, and only gave up three homers. He is young, and is going to get faster on his fastball, and better all around. I think that makes his upside a little higher than the others.
I know this list is a bit controversial. But overall I am excited about this team.
Bring on the season.
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