Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is quickly approaching and many National League Teams are stuck in the middle. One of those teams is surprisingly the Pittsburgh Pirates. Thanks to players like rookie sensation Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, ONeil Cruz, and Bryan Reynolds; Pittsburgh has been hovering around .500 for most of the season. They are only a half-game out of a wild card spot. Given the position Pittsburgh is in, the team should be serious about their pursuit of a postseason berth.
Rough Times In Recent Years
Embed from Getty ImagesSince their last postseason appearance in 2015, it’s been a rough time for the Pirates fan base. For the past eight seasons, Pittsburgh has finished with a record above .500 just once. The rest of the time, the Pirates finished in last place or near it. However, this season, thanks in large part to calling up Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh finds itself playing meaningful baseball.
The Cardinals Can Be Caught
While the Cardinals are currently in second place, they aren’t as good as their record indicates. Offensively, the Cardinals are 13th in the National League averaging just 4.19 runs per game. The only teams averaging fewer runs per game than the St. Louis Cardinals are the Miami Marlins, Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh themselves. St. Louis’s pitching staff has only moderately improved from last year as they currently have a team ERA of 3.99. They’ve also been more susceptible to homers as St. Louis has allowed 110 long balls so far this year. While the Cardinals are 4-2 against Pittsburgh this season, every game has been close. If Pittsburgh makes the right moves, they could easily catch the Cardinals.
The Pirates Offense Leaves Much To Be Desired
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Pirates have a solid pitching staff led by Paul Skenes. However, the area that leaves a lot to be desired is their offense. The cupboard is pretty bare outside of Bryan Reynolds, O’Neil Cruz, and Andrew McCutchen. Pittsburgh is currently only averaging 4.18 runs per game. They’ve also struggled to hit for power as the team has only hit a total of 101 home runs. The Pirates need to acquire somebody to energize the lineup. The Pirates minor league system is currently ranked ninth in all of baseball and recently graduated Skenes and Jared Jones. However, they still have three players ranked inside the top 100 prospects list. In other words, Pittsburgh has enough prospect capital to acquire any proven bat they want.
Pittsburgh Should Go For It
Embed from Getty ImagesNobody expected the Pittsburgh Pirates to be playing meaningful baseball in the second half of the season. Pirates haven’t had something to cheer for in a long time. The Pirates seem to have made more progress than expected. Given how mediocre the rest of the National League is, if the Pirates do this right, they could sneak into the postseason. The team needs to capitalize on the opportunity to end their nine-year playoff drought. If Pittsburgh wants to bring October baseball back to the Steel City, then they need to acquire another bat. If the Pirates make the postseason, it will create great momentum for them going forward. This is the year where Pittsburgh should go for it.
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