With the start of the 2019 season rapidly approaching, I believe it’s time that we give you the ultimate breakdown of each division and predict their position in the standings come season’s end. It’s hard to predict record, so we’ll just give you their placement in the standings. Of course, this is coming from a fan’s perspective and what we think it could look like, not what it will. Today, we focus on the National League Central and the Pittsburgh Pirates:
Pittsburgh Pirates
2018 record: 82-79, 4th in NL Central
Projected Lineup:
2B Adam Frazier
CF Starling Marte
RF Corey Dickerson
1B Josh Bell
RF Gregory Polanco
3B Colin Moran
C Francisco Cervelli
SS Erik Gonzalez
Pitcher
Starting Rotation:
RH Chris Archer
RH Jameson Taillon
RH Trevor Williams
RH Joe Musgrove
LH Francisco Liriano
Key Bullpen Pieces:
LH Felipe Vazquez
RH Keone Kela
RH Nick Kingham
Key Bench Pieces:
OF Lonnie Chisenhall
INF Kevin Newman
OF Melky Cabrera
The Pirates finished with a respectable 82 wins in 2018, good for 4th in the NL Central, but as far as their expectations are for 2019, I don’t see them being quite as high. Offensively, they have a few pieces. Guys like Marte, Bell and Dickerson will be the cornerstones of that offense. Of these three, Dickerson has quietly been the most consistent and most productive. Over his last three seasons (2016 and 2017 with Tampa Bay and 2018 with Pittsburgh), Dickerson has batted a collective .275 with a .477 SLG and averaged 35 doubles a year.
With regards to their rotation, the Pirates do have some arms. They picked up Chris Archer at the deadline last year, who started 10 games down the stretch with 60 strikeouts and a 4.30 ERA. With a full season in Pittsburgh, he will return to his All Star form. The ace of this staff, in my opinion, is Taillon. In 32 starts last year, Taillon pitched to a 3.20 ERA, 179 strikeouts, an 8.43 K/9 and a WAR of 4.4, all of which are career highs for the 27-year-old. And don’t sleep on Trevor Williams. 31 starts with a 3.11 ERA, WHIP of 1.178 and ERA+ of 125 in 2018. I think, when on, the top three of this rotation can be as good as any in baseball.
In the pen, you got Felipe Vasquez who over the last two seasons has become one of the better relievers in baseball. In 2018, he had a 2.70 ERA, 89 strikeouts and a 2.43 FIP in 70 innings, helping him earn his first All Star selection. Going back to 2017, he pitched to a 1.67 ERA and an ERA+ of 256. Over those two years, he also earned 58 saves in the process. Entering just his age 27 season, I see another repeat performance.
So, like I said, the Pirates do have some pieces to make a run, but with the expectations of the Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals, and even the additions the Reds have made, it looks like another end of the pact finish for the Buccos.
2019 prediction: 5th in NL Central
