Notable Additions: Yasmani Grandal, Aroldis Chapman, Rowdy Tellez
Notable Losses: Vince Velasquez, Miguel Andujar, Cody Bolton
The Pirates had a good start to the season but finished 76-86. To be fair, it was their best season since 2018. The Pirates are showing promise with young players like Henry Davis, Oneil Cruz, Jack Suwinski, and Ke’Bryan Hayes. The Pirates are handing out contracts to their young players, which is a good sign. Pirates fans will tell you it’s been a long time coming. Bryan Reynolds got an 8-year/106 million dollar deal, Ke’Bryan Hayes got an 8-year/70 million dollar deal, and Mitch Keller got a 5-year/77 million dollar deal. An NL Central title is on the horizon.
Projected Starters
C: Henry Davis
1B: Rowdy Tellez
2B: Liover Peguero
3B: Ke’Bryan Hayes
SS: Oneil Cruz
LF: Bryan Reynolds
CF: Jack Suwinski
RF: Edward Olivares
DH: Andrew McCutchen
The Pirates put together an average year at the dish as a team. They ranked 22nd in OPS, 24th in batting average, and 28th in home runs. Andrew McCutchen had the best WRC+ of qualified hitters with 115. No one had an OPS above .800, but 5 returning players had an OPS in the .700s. Jack Suwinski is someone to keep an eye out for. He led the team with 26 home runs and has a good walk rate and chase rate. At only 24, he will be a great cleanup hitter for this team in 2024. The Pirates have a lot of potential to create a good batting order, but I need to see production before I rank them any higher. I give the Pirates overall hitting a 3/10.
Projected Starting Rotation
Mitch Keller
Martin Perez
Marco Gonzales
Jared Jones
Quinn Priester
Mitch Keller leads the Pirates rotation as their ace. He had a slow 2023 with a 4.21 ERA but a career-high 210 strikeouts with a 3.89 FIP. He has shown he is an ace-caliber pitcher for this rotation. Martin Perez was an all-star with the Rangers in 2022 but had a down 2023 season. He should be a good number 2 as he looks to find his footing again. Overall, I give the Pirates rotation a 3/10.
Much like the Nationals, the bullpen has a good one-two punch. David Bednar had a 2.00 ERA with 39 saves. 2-time World Series champion Aroldis Chapman joined the Pirates on a one-year deal. He won’t have to worry about being the closer, as he can be the premier setup man for one of the more intimidating 1-2 bullpen punches. Outside of those two, the Pirates could use more help. I give their bullpen a 3/10.
Sock’s 2 X-Factors
Ke’Bryan Hayes: The first of the young contract extensions since the turn of the decade, Hayes is a defensive wizard who won his first Gold Glove in 2023 with an impressive 21 defensive runs saved. He will be a multi-time gold glover, no questions asked. As for his bat, he hit .271/.309/.453 with a career-high 15 home runs and a 101 WRC+. Entering his age 27 season, I believe that Hayes will hit for more power and provide another gold glove season at 3B.
Bryan Reynolds: Rumors were swirling that Reynolds would be traded last year. Now, the 29-year-old gets to call Pittsburgh his home for another 8 years. Last year, Reynolds hit .263/.330/.460 with 24 home runs and 110 WRC+. A slightly down year for him, but still a worthy stat line. His baseball savant page is filled with red except in the defensive categories. A capable hitter, Reynolds should have no problem repeating his 2023 performance or besting it in 2024.
Sleeper: Oneil Cruz: Missing all but 9 games of the 2023 season due to a fractured ankle, Cruz looks to bounce back and have a career year in 2024. Some may say he is not a sleeper, but we haven’t seen Cruz in almost a year. He has an elite arm and elite speed on the bases, and with his 6’7″ frame, I can see him hitting 30 home runs if he stays healthy in 2024.
Prospects to Look Forward to
Paul Skenes: Drafted first overall in the 2023 MLB draft, the 6’6″ fireball thrower is expected to be the future ace of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has a fastball that sits around 98 MPH and can reach 102. In college, his fastball produced a 30% swing and miss rate. He did start off slow in the minors last year, but I fully expect him to find his footing in Double-A this year.
Termarr Johnson: Drafted fourth overall in the 2022 MLB draft, Termarr Johnson was one the best pure hitters in his draft class. He had a rough start to his minor career, striking out 35% of the time but, by the end of the season, lowered it to 23%, showing his elite plate presence can only grow with time. I expect the 19-year-old to be a considerable part of the Pirates towards the decade’s end.
GM For a Day
I think the Pirates are moving in the right direction. The owner is willing to spend money, and their draft picks from the last few years are paying off. It is too early to make a win-now move, so for now, I would sign Jack Suwinski and Oneil Cruz to long-term extensions. However, I would wait until later in the season to make sure Suwinski was not a one-hit-wonder and to see if Cruz is still the same after his ankle injury.
Projected Finish: 68-94 5th in the NL Central, 13th in the NL
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