CHICAGO — The most optimistic Pirates projections never had anywhere close to what the bullpen has done.
David Bednar and Chris Stratton being good? OK, maybe. But Wil Crowe and Dillon Peters combining for 23 2/3 shutout innings thus far while opposing hitters have gone just 8 for 75 (.107) against them? Get the heck out of here.
Nevertheless, this Pirates season, now 16 games old, has featured plenty of unexpected twists and turns, including the most lopsided loss in franchise history on Saturday in Chicago.
So, without any further delay, let's examine some of what we've seen so far.
1. Roberto Perez has been really good.
It sounds like blasphemy around here because so many people loved Jacob Stallings — and for good reason. But after the Pirates traded Stallings to the Marlins and signed Perez this offseason, the new guy has been a seamless fit.
Pitchers have raved about Perez. They love the way he calls a game and helps them adjust. Everyone associated with the Pirates appreciates how he goes about his work every day and carries himself in the clubhouse.
Perez has also been productive.
Among qualified catchers, only Max Stassi of the Angels (2) has been worth more defensive runs saved than Perez (1), per FanGraphs. When it comes to how that site quantifies pitch framing, Oakland's Sean Murphy is the only backstop who has fared better.
At the plate, Perez is fourth among National League catchers in on-base percentage (.342) among those with 30 or more plate appearances and seemed to perhaps find his swing on Friday night.
"Roberto's a great leader," Michael Chavis said. "He's done so much for this team."
2. Yoshi Tsutsugo has been awfully quiet.
Give the Pirates' cleanup man credit: He has grinded through at-bats and certainly hasn't been an easy out. However, Tsutsugo also has just one extra-base hit through 14 games.
Last year, Tsutsugo had eight extra-base hits, including five home runs, in his first 14 games as a Pirate. There's more in there, but we haven't necessarily seen it yet.
It's also strange to see how much Tsutsugo's launch angle has dropped. That number sits at just 9.1 degrees compared to 17.1 a year ago.
3. Crowe and Peters have found roles.
We'll get into more bullpen talk, but these two have been among the most pleasant surprises thus far.
Crowe has opened the season with 13 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings across six appearances, tying him for the third-longest active scoreless streak in MLB.
Right-handed hitters are just 4 for 29 (.138) against Crowe, while he's allowed just one hit in 20 at-bats with runners on base.
Peters' hitless streak reached 25 plate appearances — a franchise record, at least since 1974 — before it ended Sunday. No big deal. He's amassed 10 1/3 scoreless innings and owns three of the Pirates' eight wins.
"These guys have been throwing strikes," Perez said. "When you throw strikes out of the bullpen and stick to your strengths, good results are gonna come."
4. Derek Shelton deserves more credit.
Dating back to spring training, Shelton has warned that this might be route the Pirates will go — where roles would be fluid, and his team would be thoroughly non-traditional with how it has deployed pitchers.
Sure, the starters have not been good — their 6.50 ERA 28th and 63 2/3 innings just 26th — which has been another disappointing trend early on. But credit to Shelton, he's been pulling all the right strings whenever those guys leave.
Whether it's been hybrid types like Crowe and Peters, bridge relievers such as Heath Hembree or Anthony Banda or even how Shelton has handled Stratton and Bednar at the back end, it's been outstanding.
"I think you have to give credit to the manager," Perez said. "He's doing a really good job of matching up and putting guys in situations where they can succeed."
5. Bryan Reynolds hasn't been himself.
Similar to Tsutsugo, the Pirates haven't gotten a ton from their best player. It's also been 16 games, and it would be ridiculous to draw any conclusions to this point. But if you look at Reynolds' numbers, they're certainly not what he wants or is capable of doing.
Reynolds' strikeout rate (26.6%) is similar to how he fared in 2020 (27.4%), while his isolated power — slugging minus average — sits at a career-low .138. He's hitting just .190, including .133 (4 for 30) over his past eight and has a 26.2% whiff rate against fastballs.
"I'm taking pitches I normally don't take and swinging at stuff I normally don't swing at," Reynolds said. "It's frustrating."
6. Daniel Vogelbach has been important.
Saturday after that 21-0 loss, the most consistent voice was that of Vogelbach, telling teammates to keep their heads up and that it's only one game. The next morning, Vogelbach and laughing and smiling, keeping things loose.
At the plate, Vogelbach has hit safely in six of seven (7 for 21) with two home runs and three RBIs. He's also batting .324 out of the leadoff spot.
"[Hitting coach] Andy Haines said he's never been around a major league player who cheers for his teammates as much as 'Vogey' does," Shelton said. "Over the course of spring training and the first 16 games, he's shown that."
7. Why isn't Bednar getting more run?
Perhaps it will happen as the Pirates bullpen earns more attention, but Bednar has absolutely pitched like one of the game's elite relievers.
Since the start of July 21, Bednar has a 0.70 ERA in 34 appearances totaling 38 2/3 innings. Only one reliever in baseball (Aaron Loup) has been better among those who've worked 30 or more innings. Bednar has walked 10, struck out 51 and allowed no homers during that stretch.
"He's able to execute pitches," Shelton said. "He doesn't let the moment get too big. Everybody thinks it's just the fastball, but the curveball and splitter are good pitches. The guy has multiple weapons."
