The Pirates have won eight of 12 and the ones driving this little surge are mostly the younger players, so that’s exciting.
A season that had begun with no real reason to tune in suddenly looks far more interesting. But that isn’t because they have won more lately. It is baseball and even the worst of teams have surges in short samples. And as I always say, 162 games do not lie about who you are as a baseball team.
We have been fooled so many times over the past eight or nine years by the Pirates when they have these little surges of winning. We hear about how the pitchers are figuring it out, the hitters are growing in their approach and how it is only a matter of time before they put it all together.
I won’t be like Charlie Brown going back to kick a field goal with Lucy as my holder on this, though. This time I will keep my eyes wide open and I won’t try and kick it only to have her pull it away from my feet and let me fall on my posterior. I won’t do it this time. My expectations are still for this to be a team that struggles to win 70 games and finishes in fourth or fifth place.
That being said, there is something a little different about it this time. In most recent years, the surge was driven by whatever journeyman talent is playing above their heads. These were always guys who got hot for a few weeks, but there was nothing in their background that suggested it was sustainable and the Pirates returned to their losing ways just about the time people started getting interested.
This time, though, it has been refreshing to see so many of the younger players driving this surge. That means this could be more sustainable and, more importantly, it could be a glimpse of what the future could hold for the Pirates. I must admit my interest is raised and I’m willing to entertain the thought.
Consider this:
Jack Suwinski, a 23-year old rookie who was acquired in a trade as part of the Adam Frazier deal with the Padres, was 7-for-12 in this weekend series against the Diamondbacks. The Pirates won two of three games and Suwinski had the walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth Saturday, then had three hits in the win on Sunday. Suwinski is only hitting .229, but he started off really slow and has begun to heat up and also has six home runs.
Roansy Contreras, a 22-year old pitcher who was acquired in a trade as part of the Jameson Taillon deal with the Yankees, was spectacular Saturday. He didn’t get the win because the Pirates trailed 1-0 going into the ninth before Suwinski’s heroics, but he went 5 2/3 innings and gave up one run (unearned) and struck out five. I don’t know much about any of these prospects/rookies, but I am sold on Contreras. He is the real deal and will be fun to watch develop into one of MLB’s best pitchers over time.
Rodolfo Castro, a 23-year old international player in his rookie year, drove in four runs Thursday in the 8-4 win over the Dodgers. That game completed a three-game sweep. Castro isn’t hitting well yet (.197), but he is really young in his development and clearly a player the Pirates think has a lot of talent.
Tucupita Marcano, a 22-year old who was acquired in the Frazier deal with San Diego, hit a couple of big home runs in wins over the Dodgers earlier in the week.
There are more young players who have contributed and more who are on their way. This is something that is interesting to me. This looks like the start of perhaps the rebuilding job paying dividends. I will like it even more when they move the Ben Gamels, Jose Quintanas and Daniel Vogelbachs and replace them with young players who are capable of becoming a foundation for a team ready to contend.
I say all of that , but ... and there is always a but ...
There is still a lot of work to be done, and this roster still needs a lot of talent — particularly young pitching — before I am ready to get overly excited. I would say I am now at least mildly interested and at least willing to entertain that better days are ahead. The Pirates have had a nice stretch of baseball here recently, but it is a short stretch and the response should be measured.
The young players and prospects have made the Pirates worth watching, at least, and that’s a step above where they were at the start of the season.
