Pittsburgh Pirates Proving Mettle By Hanging In Pennant Race
By Matt Gajtka
Aug 12, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer (10) hits an RBI single against the Detroit Tigers during the third inning at PNC Park. The Pirates won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t in as good of a position as they were last year at this time, but what they’ve done to this point might actually be more impressive.
Last August, the Pirates led the National League Central by as many as four games, which would’ve made their eventual fade into a wild-card spot very disappointing if it didn’t mean a playoff berth for the first time in 20 years.
Pittsburgh is playing catch-up ball this summer, climbing from fourth place in the Central and 9 1/2 games behind first-place Milwaukee as of May 5 to second place and just 1 1/2 back of the Brewers prior to Wednesday’s game in Detroit.
The Bucs were 18-26 less than three months ago, and now they’re a season-high nine games above .500. They lead the wild-card hunt by 1 1/2 games over San Francisco and St. Louis, giving them a backup plan if they fail to catch Milwaukee.
How have the Pirates done it? We can start with their National League-leading .333 on-base percentage, their league-leading walk total or their 505 runs and 1,054 hits, both of which rank third among NL clubs.
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Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker were/are huge parts of the Pirates’ surprising offensive machine, but their recent injury-related absences haven’t noticeably slowed down production. Josh Harrison (.867 OPS) and Russell Martin (.814) have continued their well-above-average success, while young outfielders Starling Marte (.736) and Gregory Polanco (.727) are catching heads of steam.
This is a truly deep lineup, too, featuring eight regulars hitting above league average judged by OPS+. Even Jordy Mercer, who started the year in such a funk that his MLB future was thrown into question, has rallied to reach respectable offensive levels for the shortstop position.
Maybe we shouldn’t be so shocked by all the runs crossing the plate. Only Martin, at 31, is above 30 years old among the Pirates’ nine most common hitters this season, with all the rest (except Polanco) falling between 25 and 28. Every relevant position player is in his prime or will be soon.
On the pitching side, there has been some backsliding from last year’s run-prevention juggernaut, with both starters and relievers bearing the blame for a 3.71 ERA that ranks 10th in the NL. Lately, however, both parts of the pitching staff have shown promising signs, from Francisco Liriano‘s revival to the bullpen’s rebound after a shaky few games.
The reclamation duo of Edinson Volquez (3.67 ERA) and Vance Worley (2.30) have certainly done their part, even if they’re due some regression due to average peripheral numbers. Remember when their acquisitions were met with a collective yawn from a certain segment of Pirates’ fans?
General manager Neal Huntington has built a team deep enough to survive – and even thrive – with critical contributors on the shelf. Legitimate pennant contenders don’t fall apart when key injuries strike, and the Pirates have proven their mettle in that area as the most important stretch of the season approaches.