Pirates Preview: Will Pitching Staff Continue its Dominance?

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Sep 30, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Gerrit Cole

The Pirate ace has been remarkably consistent since he made his debut in 2013, posting an ERA under 4 every season. Last year, he took a necessary step solidifying himself not only as the ace of the staff, but as one of the best pitchers in the league.

In order to continue upon the strides made last year, expect Cole to work in more of his secondary pitches and keep his walk rate down. Cole reminds me a lot of Justin Verlander early in his career—a primarily fastball pitcher that could throw balls by hitters even if the location was a little off. What allowed Verlander to jump to that top tier (and win back-to-back Cy Youngs) was, as he put it, “learning how to pitch.” Velocity is important and Cole is already learning how to use his secondary pitches. It will be the evolution of his non-strikeout pitches, like his slider, that will truly make him a Cy Young front-runner.

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