Five Pirates Thoughts at Five

9-11-23 – By Gary Morgan – @garymo2007 on Twitter

Baseball and 9-11 will always be intertwined. The sports world played a huge role in helping to heal the nation and I’ll never shake the images of our President throwing out the first pitch. Younger people probably won’t see that the same way we all did, but mentally, we were all at least a little concerned some terrorist was going to shoot him as he stood on that mound.

We made mistakes as a country in our reactions and laws that came from it, but we also came together and made those mistakes as one.

1. Hayes Calls Out an Umpire…

Nobody is going to say it better than Ke’ Himself…

Look, Ke’ is right here, egregious call, one of many this year. Why this one set him off in particular, hey, who knows, maybe it’s as simple as he’s currently hitting the baseball so it matters more.

This story has been building all season, and if you live in a Pirates bubble, you probably think they’ve been unfairly targeted. I’m here to tell you, it’s league wide. The strike zone has not been consistent and even when it has been, it’s certainly wider than it has been historically.

This might not be the smartest way to go about things, umps have held grudges within the games just from coaches barking this year after all, but MLB doesn’t really provide a mechanism for guys to complain. At some point guys are going to “lose it” or go public with their dissatisfaction.

I’m quite sure Hayes will be fined, could even get a game suspension, but if it shines a light on MLB for having no accountability mechanism in place for umpires, hey, thanks for spending some of your money Ke’!

In all sincerity, umpires probably aren’t any worse than they’ve ever been, with a few exceptions. Every fan watching at home has this imaginary box for the strike zone painted there, and while it’s a good frame of reference, it’s also not accurate. For it to be accurate, cameras in the outfield would need to be consistently placed, the depth of the strike zone would need to be extrapolated. Fans aren’t the only ones seeing that, in the dugout players are on the iPads immediately seeing where the pitches were and it’s lead to an environment of near constant complaint from fans, players, and coaches alike.

That isn’t to say that some umpires like Hernandez, Buckner, or Diaz aren’t exceptionally bad, it’s instead to say, it’s unclear how much worse they are as opposed to others we just didn’t see because technology didn’t provide such an opportunity.

All I know for sure is, once they do onboard some form of Automatic Balls & Strikes system in the coming years, better won’t be good enough. The system will come with the plausibility of perfection and once that sort of thing is plausible, it quickly becomes the only acceptable outcome.

Until then, lets just hope the umpires propensity to hold a grudge doesn’t adversely effect Hayes or for that matter his teammates.

2. Run Through the Finish

The Pirates currently have 66 wins with 19 games remaining. Now, the difference between finishing this year with 66 or 75 wins is really negligible. It won’t change any of the needs, it won’t change the standings, it won’t do anything tangible, but finishing strong will do something I think could be important for 2024.

They’ve already beaten the 100 loss mark, but you don’t want to finish within shouting distance of that mark at this point. You want all these kids to look around the room and with zero hint of irony say “hey, we weren’t all that far from a playoff spot”. A reasonable jump from year to year in MLB isn’t as high as many would assume. You finish a year say 8 games under .500, next year setting your goal at finishing over that mark is entirely reasonable, in fact it should be expected provided your team is on the way up vs on the way down.

If this were a veteran team and the only difference next year was set to be which veterans they bring in to augment it, ok, the record doesn’t matter much, but on this team, when it’s almost all kids with room to improve, the way they feel, how close they feel they are to the next milestone or goal, the better.

The draft lottery has taken away straight wins and losses dictating where you pick, and frankly, this is a team that should no longer be looking at draft selections as “part of this”, instead as fortification of talent that one day could supplant one of the talented players we already have performing in a role.

So win boys. Win for those of us who suffered watching you build to this point, but more than that, do it for you. Do it for all the kids who came up here with energy and hungry for learning. Do it for Oneil Cruz who probably adds 2.5-4 WAR immediately, which as you know would improve the record even further.

More than anything, do it so this management team can’t look you all in the eye and pretend the process is enough this off season.

Like James Franklin the Penn State Head Football Coach said after West Virginia accused him of running up the score, you can’t play your guys and expect them to not try or play full speed. Well, when you have a roster filled with kids, you can’t expect them to do anything short of try like hell to make sure next year they spend all 162 in black and gold.

3. Oviedo’s Stand

Batters who don’t want pitched inside to will never go away. Anthony Rizzo did it all the time, and we watched Ronald Acuna Jr. lose his mind as well. Johan Oviedo has been largely encouraging this year but his reaction to Acuna getting salty cheeks from having a pitch or two inside for me was incredible, and important.

It’s great to see Oviedo not only stand up to a player like that, it was even better to hear him after the game plainly acknowledge that he’ll do it again.

“You never want to provoke a fire. You never want that situation to happen. It’s baseball. You try to throw to the weakest [zone] that the hitter has — especially him. He’s a really good hitter. He’s a really good ballplayer. I’m not going to give him anything easy. He has to understand that. He’s really good and I’m going to throw in. It’s part of baseball. We’re not playing chess. It’s how baseball works.”

“You never want to hit him. I know it’s your career. I know it’s dangerous. There’s a lot of things that can happen. But it’s pretty much the same when you hit a ball hard and it goes right at me — you’re still hitting at me. It’s not like you want to do it on purpose. It’s just part of the game. I’m going to be mad at you because you hit a line drive that hit me in the ribs or my face or my hands? I can’t be mad at you. You’re just trying to do your job. I’m just trying to do mine.”

Brilliant, truthful in every way.

It may just seem like one player making sure another player doesn’t win an argument, but what it means to me is some of these younger guys like Oviedo are getting tired of bowing to those who are supposed to be their superiors.

This kind of push back, this kind of attitude, that stuff is valuable on a team where few have their MLB big boy pants quite yet.

There is no reason to give in to hitters like this, and as talented as Acuna is he also is notorious for trying early on in contests to establish he doesn’t want pitched inside, if not get the opposing pitcher warned and take the arrow out of the quiver all together. Johan is right though, a guy like Acuna can reach and do damage on sliders 6 inches off the plate, a credit to his talent of course, but at least partially because next to nobody pitches him high and tight. This allows him to lean out and cover everything.

I can’t say enough about how impressive every single aspect of Oviedo’s handling of this was.

4. Yoshinobu Yamamoto

If you don’t know the name, you will before too long. Yamamoto is just about Japan’s hottest pitcher and there’s a solid chance his contract will be posted for MLB teams this off season.

Somewhere between 7-10 teams sent representatives to his last outing, a no hitter, his second of his career, and your Buccos were one of them.

Now does this mean they’ll get him? Of course not. That said, this isn’t a player this team typically would even invest the travel scout on. Now, a player like this typically isn’t coming here on a 8-10 year 200 million dollar deal, these tend to be more along the lines of 4-5 years and in the reasonable zone, something like 12-15 AAV. Something the Pirates should be more than willing to extend. This is always paired with a posting fee, essentially paying his Japanese team for the opportunity to bid. You’re out that money even if you lose out, so those 7-10, will get whittled down to 2-3 and if you’re in that mix, well, don’t miss.

Again, I’m not saying this to get your hopes up, but this is the type of thing that could help a team who’s pitching is lagging behind the position players a bit and at least even things up. It’s good to see them investigating things like this.

The competition will be fierce though, teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Philly, Chicago Cubs are all involved and all have a history of signing Japanese stars. Again, it’s an uphill fight, but there could be more upside in this than a MLB free agent of the same value.

Developing story, and honestly one I didn’t expect to be paying attention to this off season.

5. Flips & Flops

There isn’t much you could do to this roster right now. Not while having any concern about 40-man moves that will need made in December. That said, 2 moves I think need to happen.

First, Henry Davis will come back soon and with Triolo already here it spells the end for Vinny Capra most likely. That needs to happen if only to let Henry spend more time getting acclimated.

Next, I think it’s time to swap Nick Gonzales for Alika Williams. Alika has played great defense, but he’s gotten a nice long run and Gonzales has hit since being sent down. Important to show there is some reward for that in my mind. Whatever was working for Williams at the plate, has fizzled out, whatever they wanted to see from Nick, well, it almost has to be in the numbers he’s wracked up.

Not wasting the end of the season is almost as important as winning games, these moves might just help with both.

Then on the mound, I’d like to see a good run of Oviedo, Keller, Ortiz, Falter and Jackson as starters, let them finish the season with no openers, lets allow them all to finish strong. If not, if your gut says some of these guys still need protected or held back, bring up Priester. It’s beyond time to go back to a 5 starter model adn let this bullpen heal.

Early Pitchers Duel Negated By Bullpen Blow-Up, Bucs Drop Finale 5-2 (66-77)

9/10/23- By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on Twitter

Wrapping up the series in Atlanta with Luis Ortiz of the Pirates taking on Allan Winans of the Braves, turning out a surprising pitchers duel between one of the best offenses in baseball and one of the worst.

After combining for 24 hits and 12 runs over the first two games, the Braves didn’t manage their first hit of the game until an infield single by Matt Olson in the 4th inning as Ortiz held Atlanta at bay despite some hard contact throughout. Winans was matching him through the first 5 innings, at one point retiring 7 straight Pirates.

That all ended in the 6th inning as Ji-hwan Bae laced a 1-out single up the middle and scored when Bryan Reynolds shot a hanging sinker into the right field corner for an RBI double. Jack Suwinski followed up with a double of his own to drive in Reynolds and give the Bucs a 2-0 lead.

Ortiz followed up strong outings against Kansas City and Milwaukee with an even more effective outing against baseball’s top offense, lasting 5.1 innings with just 3 hits, 2 walks with zero strikeouts in the game today. He left in the 6th inning with runners on first and second as Ryan Borucki took over to try holding the lead. Following a wild pitch allowing runners to advance, he got Matt Olson to ground out to 2nd but it was enough to score a run and cut the lead in half.

Winans had a solid outing, generating 13 swings-and-misses against the Bucs bats over his 6.1 innings of work, allowing the 2 runs off 6 hits with no walks and 8 strikeouts.

Ryan Borucki relieved Ortiz and retired all three batters he faced before Colin Selby came on in the 7th and after a ground out by Travis d’Arnaud and walk to Orlando Arcia, he gave up a single to Michael Harris II and allowed a deep drive to center by Ronald Acuña, Jr., which scored two runs and put the Braves on top 3-2. 

Selby left with 2 on and Thomas Hatch came on, allowing a walk to Austin Riley before Olson grounded a ball up the middle that just skirted past Ji-hwan Bae’s glove to score 2 more and give the Braves a 5-2 lead, which the Pirates were not able to overcome.

News & Notes

  • Reynolds extended his hit streak to 11 games with his 4th inning single to center. Over that stretch, he’s posted a .340/.383/.591 triple slash.
  • Suwinski has looked like he’s back on a hot streak lately, going 7 for his last 21 with 4 extra base hits over the past week.
  • Pirates head back home for their penultimate homestand of the season as they host the Washington Nationals. First pitch scheduled for 6:35PM. Let’s Go Bucs!

Detailing the Pirates Roster with an Eye Toward 2024

9-9-23 – By Gary Morgan – @garymo2007 on Twitter

As soon as the last pitch is thrown in 2023 there will be immediate calls for blindly spending money and judgements will be passed on players who in some cases have had little more than 100 at bats in the league, if that.

Before we get there, I thought we might do well to go through the roster as we know it. Put the players in buckets that represent their likelihood to be part of this team in 2024 and in many cases, beyond.

These exercises will often expose real areas of weakness, not just the ones you see right now, but where a lack of depth might leave the club exposed soon if not addressed.

So today, let’s start by putting the players we know about into what I consider to be the buckets. You may disagree with some of these categories or who I put in these buckets, but keep in mind, I’m trying to be as emotionless and clinical as I can be. Reality dictates, “sure” things aren’t all over the place for the Pirates, at least, they shouldn’t be if we actually want to see a competitive team next year.

1. The Locks to Start

“To Start” Lets begin there, because when I list off some bullpen arms in this category, that immediately is going to be confusing. Maybe a better way to put it is, players who will 100% be on the opening day roster and be called upon to perform with no reservations.

Bryan Reynolds (OF) – Bryan is and will be a fixture on the Pirates roster for quite some time. For the first offseason since the Cherington regime began, there is no question, Reynolds will be here, and he’ll start just about every day.

Ke’Bryan Hayes (3B) – Hayes and his contract have always been both reasonable and good for team and player. Hayes has now on multiple occasions shown an ability to produce offense, but consistency has remained elusive. Regardless, next season he’ll be there on opening day at 3rd base.

David Bednar (CP) – You can believe trading Bednar would be wise, it certainly would return quite a bit of prospect or maybe even Major League talent, but closer deals are best served for the deadline when teams get desperate for that one missing element, not in the offseason when teams aren’t sure how much they’ll need it. David has a better shot of being extended (right or wrong) than he does being traded. Either way, he’s your closer in 2023.

Colin Holderman (RP) – Holderman it could be argued is the most likely successor to Bednar should the team decide to move on within the next year or two. His stuff is killer, his control of said stuff fails him at times, but it’s hard to deny the talent, or the fact he’ll be in the back end mix next March.

Carmen Mlodzinski (RP) – The Pirates converted Carmen from a starter to a reliever in the pre season, and to his credit he embraced it. First as a long man, then as a fireman, and now as a trusted back end arm who’s absence was felt when he was placed on the IL earlier this season. Of all the names on my list for this category, Carmen is arguably the most controversial, but I can’t ignore the stoic nature in which he’s applied his talent and his ability to pressure situations. He’ll be in this mix.

Oneil Cruz (SS, DH) – I don’t think it’s fair to say we know what Oneil Cruz will be quite yet. We, and he of course, were robbed of seeing what he could do with his sophomore season, but there is simply no reason to expect anything short of Cruz being on the opening day roster, likely at short stop, but regardless of position taking over 550 at bats in 2024.

Mitch Keller (SP) – It doesn’t matter what you call him. Ace, stopper, or just plain the best they have, Mitch Keller will be the Pirates opening day starter in 2024 and the answer is simple as to why, they won’t possibly afford someone better than Mitch and if they aren’t foolish, they’ll do what’s necessary to ensure Keller doesn’t see his own free agency options after 2025 and extend him. Rest assured, if that doesn’t happen this offseason/early season it likely won’t come to pass. I have doubt they or this build can afford that, more than the price tag for replacing him anyway.

Johan Oviedo (SP) – The Pirates swung a trade with a rival for a young Cuban defector with big upside and little experience. To his and the Pirates credit, Johan has shown elite stuff and the ability to put it all together and eat innings in the process. I make no claim he’s a finished project, or that he’ll remain in the rotation for the next 6 years, but I can’t fathom a scenario in which he doesn’t begin the season in the rotation.

Endy Rodriguez (C) – Endy has already shown an ability to improve defensively, just since his call up, and his ability to work with a pitching staff remains a work in progress, but Endy will continue growing, and he’ll do it at the MLB level.

That’s 9 members of the 26-man that I see as complete locks to start the season in Pittsburgh.

Keep in mind, this segment isn’t about likely, it’s about locks. So if I missed someone you think should be here, solid chance they’re in the next section.

2. Most Likely, but Just Short of Assured

This one is tough, for me too. My first name on the list will probably illustrate this better than the rest.

Jack Suwinski – I know, I know, there is no grey with Jack, you either make silly comparisons to Willie Stargell that set off an entire generation who light torches or you claim he’s nothing more than a platoon hitter and up come the pitchforks. Bottom line, Jack has a ton of raw and MLB proven power. No team, let alone the Pirates are likely to give up on that. He’s in this category for one simple reason, I could see them adding an outfielder from the outside and if they did it’d be very unlikely the club would have room for a guy they want to see very regular at bats for.

Henry Davis – His struggles in the Bigs were greater than most have let on, but not so much that he’ll slip his way off the roster. He’ll start, and despite all of you who believe you know how a player who just started learning a position will ultimately take to it, the team isn’t exactly anxious to sully their 1:1 selection. So I ask you this simply, if they don’t believe Right Field to be what they ultimately think is best for Henry, why would they do it? Even on draft day, this was a plausible outcome. Revise history all you like but Davis was drafted where he was because he had the most advanced bat on the board. Everything else will work itself out.

Conner Joe – It’s possible the Pirates could upgrade their depth at the MLB level, but Conner Joe is every bit what you’d want in that position. Solid off the bench, solid at a bunch of different positions, good in the room and even while ice cold off the bench takes a good at bat. He’ll finish this season with 10 dingers and at least close to 30 doubles in limited action. That limited action figures to be diminished further next season, so I’m comfortable with Joe filling that role. Note, not to START anywhere with regularity, perhaps a platoon option, but a capable and veteran backup.

Ji-Hwan Bae – He’s shown versatility, and his speed simply has no rival right now close to the league. He’s shown some good things in CF, and enough ability to hold down 2B if need be to get his bat and legs in the lineup. He’s here because while everything I just said is true, I simply can’t pretend he’s locked himself into any role that makes him irreplaceable.

Liover Peguero – Hard to figure right? He’s shown some really easy power, but he has bouts of really nothing short of losing patience for games at a time. Ton of potential, probably the second base leader in the clubhouse, but he’s catchable isn’t he? He’s in this bucket because in my mind he’s done enough both at SS and 2B to show he can handle them defensively and he has more offensive potential than some other options.

Jose Hernandez – He’s done far more than almost any Rule 5 pick in recent memory. A potential back end lefty, with plus stuff who could truly be a standout next year when given an offseason to fine tune.

Jason Delay – His picture should probably be next to the definition of backup catcher. Hits enough to chip in on occasion, prorated out his stats are near the top of the league defensively, really headsy clubhouse guy for the pitching staff to work with.

That’s 7 more, bringing our running total to 16 of the 26. 4 RP, 2 SP, and 10 position players.

3. Possibly, but They Have to Win It

Nick Gonzales – He’s had a cup of coffee, around 100 at bats. Can’t make his promotion a given, but it feels like it really has to happen in 2024 or it just might not here in Pittsburgh. He can play the infield spots including 3B, so he might compete directly with our next two contestants.

Jared Triolo – Jared can play just about everywhere. The team hasn’t used him as such, but he does have it in there if they want to find him a spot they could. That said, there are only so many spots, this is and should remain an open competition, might even in some ways turn into a revolving door.

Alika Williams – The glove is legit. I have no qualms saying loud and proud he’s the best fielding SS this team has AAA on up. I’m just not sure the bat plays enough to legitimize giving him a spot. Even if say Oneil Cruz were to stumble defensively, you’d be hard pressed to convince me Peguero isn’t a better option. I think Alika has a tough road, but I do appreciate the glove, it truly has elite potential.

Colin Selby – Colin has had some success since being called up, but when the team chose to protect him on the 40-man from the Rule 5 draft in December, it was less about how great he’d pitched in the minors than it was about his big fastball. When you grab a Rule 5 guy it’s usually about a tool that just jumps off the page. Well, we haven’t really seen it on display, a common theme with this development system so far if I’m honest. What was 99-100 is now more like 96-97. A good heater, but not the same. The back end is getting full, so carving out a niche as an opener/couple inning guy might have to work out for him.

Angel Perdomo – I for one loved what we saw from Perdomo, but you could see this season ending injury get in his way, especially if it slows down his beginning of 2024. The need for a veteran lefty in the pen might push the team to at the very least have Perdomo start in AAA if not DFA should the injury force him to starting the season on the 60-day.

Ryan Borucki – Another lefty, the Pirates have done well fining options this year in this department, but Ryan is a tough one. He’s out of options so he can’t be sent down without DFA and he’s entering his final year of arbitration. Now, he would still be extremely cheap, like under a mil, but is he good enough to be a guaranteed MLB arm? All I can say is other teams didn’t seem to think so.

Thomas Hatch – Hatch plays right off the Borucki discussion. He does have an option remaining and he’s pre-arbitration, meaning if you really found something here, he’s here under team control for just about as long as the 28 year old will remain effective should they so choose.

4. Options but Make Them Earn it

Quinn Priester, Max Kranick, Andre Jackson, Roansy Contreras, Luis Ortiz, Osvaldo Bido, Canaan Smith Njigba, Yerry De Los Santos, Baily Falter, Jackson Wolf, Dauri Moreta, Jared Jones, Anthony Solometo, Sean Sullivan, Paul Skenes, Termarr Johnson, Joshua Palacios, Rivas…..

and…..breathe.

Point is, the Pirates have a bunch of guys like this who are already on the 40-man or top prospects and might play a role, but a competitive team knows a lot of depth, doesn’t equal a lot of answers most of the time. If this were 2022, I’d be proudly talking about how excited I was to see which 5 or 6 of these guys should make it but that has to change now. The youth movement started the clock, those who missed the cut this year have to displace someone else.

None of this even factors in Andrew McCutchen who will assuredly be back in some capacity. It doesn’t discuss JT Brubaker or Mike Burrows who had early season TJ which could potentially have them on schedule to at least threaten participation late in 2024. I’m not confident about what they’ll do with Marcano who will start the season on the IL.

5. Obvious Holes

Everyone is going to parrot the same things this year, but there’s a reason, what this team needs is painfully obvious.

Three things in particular.

First, while they have to fill holes, they also have to trust some of the kids they’ve already brought North. They need the kids to improve. It’s illogical to believe they all will, that’s how holes open for others. Look at a guy like Nick Gonzales, he’s hitting now, but when Cruz is back he’s in for a dogfight for playing time. It could force him to a new position, it could force him to AAA. This process of youngsters improving will continue and ultimately if this all works will be reason number one.

Next, starting pitching. Mitch Keller, Johan Oviedo, that’s it. Everyone else they have, regardless of how you feel about them. Paul Skenes is every bit someone you should rightly want to see next season, but when you have this many parts and pieces in place, you can’t just toss a rookie at it and cross your fingers, even a phenom. No, the Pirates need to at least partially fill out this rotation externally. Add two, one for a couple years with some MLB success under their belt already, another for a one year type deal and leave the last spot open for whomever from that laundry list wins it. This insulates you from relying on rookies, but leaves room for them to push each other too.

Finally, first base. I have a hunch it’s going to be Carlos Santana, there’s just so much smoke to it, it’s hard to believe the two sides haven’t already kinda discussed it. And in the background regardless of who they sign, they have to get someone started in AAA moving over there. No, it doesn’t mean Nunez or whoever can’t get better, but just from what I wrote you can see some prospects with decent bats might not have a home. Try CSN, or Gonzo, someone. See if you can make them fit there and don’t waste the bat. Later in the season, it might just be a nice addition.

6. Could Upgrade

Despite my praise of Jason Delay, you could see the team want to upgrade backup catcher, honestly though, I don’t think they’ll find one that matters. You could potentially if offense what your goal but in the Pirates case the starter is supposed to do that.

I could see an outfielder but the way I see it they’d have to almost do so at the expense of Jack or Bae, so it’s tough for me to see them do it. That said, it would be nice to have another right handed option aside from Joe. If Cutch could just play RF like once a week this isn’t where I’d add.

A reliever is always possible, especially a lefty. This bullpen is shaping up already so it would have to be a really solid lefty.

Talking Pirates Late Season Storylines With Jason Mackey

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-fe2w3-149a0f7

Craig is joined by Jason Mackey-Pirates Beat Reporter from the Post Gazette-to talk September callups, who we could still see this season, Oneil Cruz’s injury outlook, the likelihood of Andy Haines returning next season and the future of Andrew McCutchen; whom Craig has continued to successfully reverse jinx for almost a month now. 

Brought to you by ShopYinzz.com! Craig Toth covers the Pirates for Inside The Bucs Basement, and joins his buddy Chris at a 9-foot homemade oak bar to talk Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball. Listen. Subscribe. Share. We are “For Fans, By Fans & All Pirates Talk.” THE Pirates Fan Podcast found EVERYWHERE podcasts can be found and always at BucsInTheBasement.com!

Ortiz Posts Quality Start, Jack and Ke Provide Some Power Behind Pirates 4-2 Win (64-74)

9/4/23- By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on Twitter

Coming home after a 5-1 road trip in Missouri, the team was looking for some bouncebacks. Pirates looking to rebound after dropping the final game to the Cardinals. Starting pitcher Luis Ortiz looking to put together a better outing after a troubling season and rough game last time out. Jack Suwinski was hoping to get some momentum going after finally breaking out of his homerless drought. At home against the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers, it was a tough ask but one for which the Bucs were up to the challenge.

After a scoreless first inning, Ortiz started to fall apart, walking Sal Frelick and Willy Adames before hitting Mark Canha with a pitch to load the bases with no outs. A pair of deep fly outs by Victor Caratini and Bryce Turang would put the Brewers up by 2 early.

Bucs tied it up in the 4th as Andrew McCutchen hit a lead off double and Jack Suwinski smashed his 23rd home run of the year to dead center.

Pirates kept piling on in the 5th inning with a 2-out rally, starting with Hayes hammering a hanging curve to left center. Bryan Reynolds followed with a double and was himself doubled home by Cutch to push the line to a 4-2 score.

Brewers starter, Corbin Burnes, was in cruise control early as he set down 9 of the first 11 batters before it started unraveling on him, surrendering 4 runs off 7 hits in his 6 innings of work. On the other hand, Ortiz pieced together his best start in a long time, posting a quality start and keeping the team in it, managing to rebound from his inconsistent 2nd inning and got the win for the team.

 News & Notes

  • First overall draft pick, Paul Skenes, had a visibly uncomfortable video interview with Greg Brown and Bob Walk during the third inning.
  • Ke’s 5th inning home run was his first career hit versus Burnes after 16 previous plate appearances.
  • Suwinski went 2-for-4 on the day for just his 2nd multi-hit game since July 29.
  • Cutch came out of the game following the 5th inning with reported left Achilles tendon tightness. He had fouled a ball off his leg during his at-bat, likely causing the issue. 
  • Carmen Mlodzinski, Colin Holderman and David Bednar combined to pitch the 7th, 8th and 9th innings allowing only 1 hit and 1 walk with a strikeout. Bednar secured his 32nd save on the season, which is tied for 5th most in MLB.
  • Pirates will look to take the series tomorrow night as they face Brandon Woodruff. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35PM EST. Let’s Go Bucs!

Five Pirates Thoughts at Five – Late Night Buc’n

9-4-23 – By Gary Morgan – @garymo2007 on Twitter

Sorry it’s late, but life always wins, and this time, there was just no avoiding it.

1. 63-74 – It’s Not the Goal, but It Certainly Isn’t Nothing

The Pirates have surpassed their win total from last year, and as a head nod to their own futility have for the first time since 2019, ensured they would not lose 100 games, even if 2020 has to remain a perceived loss total only.

Look, that’s a good thing folks. And with 25 games left, even against really tough competition, every single game they win from 63 on up is now an improvement.

You can feel it should have been more, that’s certainly valid. You can believe with Cruz and Brubaker and Velasquez it would have been even better, that has to of course cross ones mind.

Sometimes, you just have to take it for what it is. They’ve improved despite challenges and injuries, they’ve managed to better themselves.

Now if that number needed to be 81 this year for you, ok, I simply never thought it was really on the table before the season started. In fact the only time it entered my thoughts was after they climbed to that insane 20-8 mark.

If that start poisons the overall and admittedly slight upward trend for you, hey, I get it, but you also can hardly take the accomplishment off of them either.

2. Enjoy Your Andujar

I’ve said just about everything I have to say about calling up Miguel Andujar. To be clear, I wouldn’t have wasted my time with it.

That said, since they’ve decided to call him up, go ahead and observe how they use him. Regardless of performance, really sit back and watch how they use this player.

They claim he’ll play a little first base, and outfield and some DH too, some of you really believe it’s an audition for next year.

I don’t share those beliefs.

This is a player entering his 2nd year of arbitration, the Pirates could of course retain him by simply offering him a tender, and being willing to give him 1.5, maybe 2 million next year.

As you watch him play, you’ll see even while they say it’s on the table, they won’t use him at First Base, not often anyway, and when they do, you’ll know he’s not really an answer there even if they did.

He could hit 10 homeruns from here through the last game of the season, the realities of how his skill set fits with what this team needs in 2024, and who will fill those roles won’t change.

DH is going to once again likely be filled by Andrew McCutchen, Right field unless there is a huge change in what we’ve seen is going to go to Henry Davis and Jack Suwinski. First base is at the very least going to go so someone they feel can field the position and it’s this point, well, series of points I just can’t get past with him.

So enjoy your Andujar time, have fun telling people who didn’t want to bother they were wrong, but I don’t see it making a lick of difference this offseason.

For what it’s worth, I hope he pounds baseballs for the rest of the waning season, my point has always been it simply can’t matter for next year, not if they truly want to improve.

3. Calm Down, it Was the Royals and Cardinals, They Stink

True of course, both of those teams are pretty bad this year, but the Cardinals are 4 games back of the Pirates in the loss column. The Bucs posted a 9-4 record against the Red Birds this year, so, in a way, aren’t the Pirates kinda responsible at least in part for their bad record?

This stuff always comes around. They’ve beaten the Padres, yes, yes with a bad record, again, one they personally helped them have. They’ve beaten the Braves or at least held their own in their first series with them, surely they don’t stink.

At some point, you can’t play that game, wins either matter or they don’t. The sweep of the Dodgers last year in Los Angeles, meant no more than the A’s kicking the Pirates’ butts this year in May.

Say what you want, but even the worst teams in the league beat the big guys every once in a while, and when we play the minimize game, really all we do is create a silly little game that the course of the entire season created.

If the Pirates played the Yankees in April, impressive wins, and this year when they play them in September, if they happen to win it’ll be because the Yankees stink.

All that stuff matters, but it also evens out most of the time. If they get swept against the Brewers, yes, I’ll acknowledge the Crew is a better team, hell, I’ll acknowledge it now, but as a fan, do the previous 6 suddenly count only if they secure 2 of 3 from the Brewers?

The wins against the Angels and the relative silencing of Ohtani, those probably don’t matter either because now they fully stink right?

Rant over, but it’s a silly way to take in a season.

4. Can Paul Skenes Fill an Immediate Rotation Slot?

For just a moment, put aside all you think you know about how the Pirates will handle Skenes on his path to the Majors. The most jaded of you could see them “hold him back” until 2025. Most of you who pay moderate attention will at least assume they’ll make him start in AAA until the extra year of team control threshold takes place. And of course some of you poor die hard good faith having folk, of course think he could start on opening day.

Here’s my take on this, I think Skenes has the talent to make the jump but next year I think this team needs to ensure he doesn’t have to.

The Pirates have a bunch of young pitchers that could come into Spring after a full off season looking better, the next wave guys will start making noise on their way into AA too, and Skenes rightly is the most exciting one. But I want this team to ignore all that good to great stuff that could happen. Ortiz figures it out, Contreras finds his fastball, you know what I’m talking about.

I want this team to physically block them. Have Keller, Oviedo, 2 free agents and allow one spot for the others to fight over. These two free agents could be beaten out, in fact if they do, great, but to WIN in 2024, you simply can’t count on a rookie, no matter how sexy his tools are, and you can’t count on a struggling kid to show up right either.

Buy plenty of insurance, allow nature to take it’s course and yes, probably over pay a guy or two. Price of doing business. Winning teams don’t leave a rotation in dire straights and cross their fingers. Winning teams prepare for seasoned pitchers to pitch professionally, and slowly be phased out by youth.

Again, even if I think Skenes could start on Opening Day, I personally would advise having a veteran free agent. Lots of options, doesn’t equal lots of depth when none of it is tested.

5. Scrapple & Fodder & Last Shots Too

The Pirates today called up Hunter Stratton, a long suffering prospect and 16th rounder back in 2017. This is a big kid, with a big arm and in the second half of this season he’s looked like a guy worth taking a look at, as opposed to just moving on from the almost 27 year old.

He took the place of Rob Zastryski who just came back himself.

The Pirates will do this sort of thing most of the rest of the season. Making decisions now to clear up the 40-man or start protecting players you plan to protect in the month of September used to be easier with expanded rosters, but now you see more guys one by one replace others who have had as much time as they’ll get.

This won’t involve a guy like Jared Jones, but it could involve a guy like Aldred, or Cody Bolton could get DFA’d. Little moves, little decisions, that’s kinda what it is now.

The back of the bullpen is shaping up. Mlodzinski, Bednar and Holderman have done well, Stratton is a guy who could in theory be that extra guy for the 6th or even to fill in when the others are resting. Worth a shot.

Johan Walks 6, Walker Blasts One As Cardinals Salvage Final Game of the Series 6-4 (63-74)

9/3/23- By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on Twitter

Following an extra innings win and a 9th inning comeback victory against the Cardinals, Bucs were hoping for an easier match with the getaway day. Facing long-time rivals, they knew it would never be easy.

After going down 1-2-3 in the top of the first, starter Johan Oviedo immediately got himself into trouble in the bottom of the frame. Fresh off his first complete game shutout last week against the Royals, Oviedo gave up a single to Lars Nootbaar and walked Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Gorman to load the bases with no outs and reigning Platinum Glove Winner, Nolan Arenado, at-bat. Fortunately, the Pirates have a pretty sweet-fielding third baseman themselves.

Ke’Bryan Hayes was able to knock down a line drive by Arenado that was 102.3 MPH off the bat and get the lead runner out at home. Following a strikeout and a foul out, Pirates were able to get out of the inning with the game still scoreless. The tie, however, wouldn’t last much longer.

After a fly-out by Connor Joe in the top of the second inning, recently selected Miguel Andujar showed off some pop, shooting a line drive home run that just stayed fair down the left field line.

Red Birds clawed back in the bottom of the inning with a 2-out rally: Tommy Edman single, walks to Nootbaar and Goldschmidt set up another bases-loaded situation and Cardinals took advantage with a single to right by Gorman to score a pair. Jordan Walker added another one in the third inning with a laser home run, which left the bat at 110.8 MPH.

Pirates stormed back in the 4th inning as back-to-back singles by Bryan Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen put men on the corners for Connor Joe to notch his 35th RBI on the year with a fielder’s choice to shortstop. Liover Peguero drove a double to left that just missed going out, scoring Joe and tying the game at 3-all once more.

Oviedo was not nearly as sharp in this outing as his last go-round, lasting 3.2 innings, 4 hits, 5 runs (3 earned) with 2 strikeouts and 6 walks – his 97 pitch count of 48 strikes to 49 balls. He left the bases loaded in the 4th inning as lefty Ryan Borucki took over and hung a middle-middle slider to Alec Burleson, who managed to drive it to center and score two runs.

Cardinals starter, southpaw Zack Thompson, was much more efficient with his pitches, setting the Bucs batters down in order in the first, third, fifth, and seventh innings. His final line was 7 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs, 6 strikeouts and zero walks.

Borucki and Rob Zastryzny combined for 3 innings of 1-run ball to keep the Bucs in the game. Zastryzny allowed a double to Walker and an infield single to Richie Palacios that 2nd baseman, Vinny Capra, was not able to field and throw accurately enough to get him out, allowing Walker to come around and score. 

Pirates managed some late-inning magic: In the 8th inning, Andujar managed to beat out a would-be inning-ending double play ball with the bases loaded to score a run and was confirmed after review. In the bottom of the 8th. Pirates narrowly missed getting Burleson on a bases-loaded grounder hit to shortstop but it was overturned after umpire review. Unfortunately, team wasn’t able to get any more runs and dropped the final game 6-4.

 News & Notes

  • Oviedo tied his career high in walks (6) and had his 10th pitch violation of the year facing Arenado in the 4th inning – which is tied for 2nd in all of baseball behind only Craig Kimbrel with 11.
  • Two runs which scored in the 4th inning were unearned due to an error by Peguero, who was unable to field a ground ball to his right.
  • Speaking of Peguero, he notched another multi-hit game and finished the road-trip 10-for-20 at the plate.
  • The last time the Pirates completed a sweep in St. Louis was 3+ games was in 1997 (July 3-6). They’ll have to wait for next season for another shot after finishing with a record of 9-4 against them this year.
  • Pirates head back to Pittsburgh to face another division rival in the Milwaukee Brewers. Game starts at 6:35PM EST. Let’s Go Bucs!

Know Your Enemy – August Edition

9-2-23 – By Corey Shrader – @CoreyShrader on Twitter

National League Central Standings
WinLoss
Milwaukee Brewers7559🔼
Chicago Cubs7263🔼
Cincinnati Reds7067🔽
Pittsburgh Pirates6273🔁
St. Louis Cardinals5877🔁

There was some shuffling in the standings in August. As we discussed the Reds did fall victim to the ice cold rookie month & the Cubs fully capitalized. Milwaukee held serve at the top and are fighting to keep their spot away from all comers. There are some notable matchups including an early Chicago/Cincinnati 4 game set and what could be a momentous 3 game series to end the regular season between Milwaukee and Chicago. 

Let’s jump in:

Milwaukee Brewers 

The Brew Crew remained a steady presence atop the standings with a 17-9 month of August. Outside of the Braves & Dodgers, the National League has a good amount of parody in the next tier of playoff contenders. Milwaukee sits firmly near the top of this group and given their steady performance & pitching depth (when healthy) they are a real contender.

August’s fWAR status for the Crew looks like this:

Offense: 3.6 (13th)

Pitching: 3.6 (6th)

Lineup

William Contreras – Contreras was the brightest performer for the Brewers in August behind a .364 wOBA & a 129 wRC+. Strong plate approach, strong EVs, good defensive value – Contreras is a ballplayer, folks. It is easier said than done, but if he can tweak that launch angle he is going to be a true beast. Even if he can’t, he might be the premier catcher in the division. 

Joey Wiemer – Wiemer’s positive plate approach gains from July all but vanished in August. The approach and hit tool absolutely must develop for him to be a starter, let alone an impact player. With his profile as a strong outfield defender, he will get plenty of chances. Right now he looks like a part time player due to our next guy.

Sal Frelick – Frelick played some good baseball in August. While I do think he overperformed his underlying numbers, the talent is undeniable to the point where he might bea player that continually exceeds his peripherals. He is a real 4 tool player with only his power lagging behind some. Frelick should be a fixture at the or near the top of this lineup for years to come. 

Christian Yelich – Yelich had his first real “down” month in August. Not much to add beyond noting that he was off his game!

Pitching

Freddy Peralta – Yeah, Freddy was an Ace in August. 30IP, 5 starts, 5 wins, 2.10 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 46 Ks, 10BB. Scary stuff when he is rolling, as predicted last month.

Brandon Woodruff – Returned to the rotation in August. 28.2IP, 3.45 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 37K, 7BB. This is a World Series caliber rotation if they’re all rolling at once. No one will want to face them in a playoff series the way that things are trending.

Corbin Burnes – Burnes didn’t hum at peak efficiency in August but each time he toes the rubber he gives the Crew a chance to win. While it has been something of a “off” year for Burnes, he is still one of the best in baseball at limiting quality & hard contact. And while Mets starter Kodai Senga & Rays starter Aaron Civale have usurped him as having the best cutter in baseball, Burnes still has the 3rd best. Yes, he is still an ace.

Devin Williams – One of the best closers in the game. 5 more saves in August, a 1.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 15ks in just 9 IP. When the “airbender” is working it is amazing to watch it almost defy physics. 

Minor League Check In

Jackson Chourio –  After one of the more insane months of production in all of the minor league season, Chourio cooled off at AA in August. However, it should be noted that as the calendar turns over to September Chourio has become just the 2nd teenager since 2005 to post a 20 homer/20 steal season in AA. Just a special, special talent. Still hoping he might get a late September call up, but given that he is still at AA, seeming less likely by the day.

Tyler Black – Black got the call to AAA in early August. While the surface stats aren’t popping yet, he has carried over an advanced plate approach and the power/speed combo that led to his prospect ascendency in 2023. My gut says we see him on the big club for the playoff push.

Jacob Misiorowski – Misiorowski took a nice step forward at AA with a strong line in 3 August starts including a 6 inning, 12k performance. One of the premier starting pitching prospects in all of baseball.

Chicago Cubs

Chicago has staked a claim to the upper levels of the division on the back of a 18-9 month of August that included a 2-1 series win versus Milwaukee to end the month.

The month broke down like this with regards to fWAR performance:

Offense: 4.2 (10th)

Pitching: 2.5 (10th)

Here are just a few of the performers that stood out from this past month.

Lineup 

Cody Bellinger – We can confidently say that Cody Bellinger is a dude again. You’ve got to really respect what he has done in 2023. He has almost totally reinvented himself as a player & salvaged his career. While he isn’t the power hitting monster of his early Dodgers career, he is now just an all around good hitter. He should post a 20/20 season and will likely slash .300/.350/.500. Hats off to him & the Cubs for taking the shot on him. His free agency journey will be incredibly interesting to watch. 

Dansby Swanson – Lieutenant Dans continued his trend of a bit of a downer month in August. The production was not impressive but the season as a whole is still indicative of a bedrock, above-average across the board talent. I wouldn’t rule out a hot September run here based on the xStats. 

Jeimer Candelario – Smack dab in the middle of a career year, the Cubs added Candelario at the deadline and he rewarded them with a August line of: 14 runs, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 3 homers, 12 RBI, 2 steals, .346 wOBA, & a 118 wRC+. Great move for the Cubs and a big boost to their playoff hopes.

Seiya Suzuki – Seiya finally popped some in August. In 85 PA’s he had a strong showing with 17 runs, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 13 RBI, a .321/.365/.641 triple slash, .416 wOBA, & a 166 wRC. His continued performance is going to be vital to the Cubs as the season closes. 

Pitching

Jordan Wicks – Wicks had a hellacious debut in late August. He went 5 innings allowing 2 hits, 1 BB, and 9ks. Don’t expect him to show this kind of dominance all the time, but he is a very good pitcher that features a nasty changeup.

Javier Assad – Assaad was very useful for the Cubs in August. He largely out pitched his underlying stats, but no one can argue with the results. 

Julian Merryweather/Mark Leither Jr/Adbert Alzolay – These guys hurled some ball in August. A trio of lockdown RPs will help boost any pitching staff.

Justin Steele – He re-found his command that escaped in July. Steele has been one of the true breakout pitchers of 2023 and a big piece for this Cubs turnaround. He had 4 wins in 6 August starts & he piled up 41/7 K/BB. A staple of the Chicago rotation.

Kyle Hendricks –  I am literally just able to copy this from month to month. “We can probably just copy and paste last month’s blurb here. Hendricks just keeps rolling with quality innings and his trademark plus plus command.” 

Minor League Check In

Matt Shaw – Folks, we can confirm that Matt Shaw does, in fact, got that dawg in em’. Shaw totally decimated the A+ level earning himself a call up to AA after just 20 games. Looking like an early hit in the draft for the Cubbies here. Fun player.

Cade Horton – Horton rocked AA in August. 23IP, 28/8 K/BB ratio, 1.57 ERA, & a 1.00 WHIP. The Cubs rebuild is humming right now. 

Ben Brown – Jordan Wicks beat him to the majors, but Brown has found himself on the IR and has had some lackluster outings at AAA. I still expect him to be a major league caliber pitcher given the strength of his stuff, but not sure we can expect him until 2024 at this rate.

Owen Cassie – Cassie continued to impress in August. I am beginning to think he is one of the most underrated prospects in the division at this point. He now has 2 straight months in AA with a wOBA over .400 and a near elite level wRC+ (150+). Huge power & the usual K concerns that come with that profile – but his BB% & approach gains are sticking for now, at least.

Haydn McGeary – Had a dreadful average of .192 in August, but looking a bit deeper we see signs of him producing still with a .357 wOBA & a respectable 109 wRC+. While I am not certain that he is going to be a star, McGeary has the traits to be a solid piece at the MLB level.

Pete Crow-Armstrong – Just felt the need to mention PCA here because I think we could see him get the call in September. A personal favorite of mine. He has the look of being an elite level prospect and a possible All Star MLB talent. Waiting in the wings at AAA & playing well.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds continued to hit a bit of a “young team”/growing pains skid in August going 10-17.


Offense: 0.4 (28th)

Pitching: 2.0 (15th)

Even as this team has started to hit a rough patch, they have a great opportunity to outpace nearly every expectation that was placed on them before the year began.

Lineup

Matt McLain – McLain was hot the heels of D-Backs superstar Corbin Carroll in the NL ROY race, but he was felled by an oblique injury and has hit the IR with no real clear timetable for a return. You hate to see it, but an undeniably good debut for the young man.

Spencer Steer – An okay month for Steer with some modest production and some acceptable numbers on the back of a .340 wOBA & a 108 wRC+.

Elly De la Cruz – Elly continued to fight through the rookie growing pains common to his player profile. He did still post some back of the baseball card stats with 17 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homers, 14 RBI, & 6 steals but\ the league is still exploiting his approach issues. 

Will Benson – A down month for Benson who did have some injuries in August too.

Noelvi Marte – Officially got the call to the MLB. Pretty small sample, so not much to glean yet outside of flashing some surprising speed with 5 steals in just 39 PAs & a 80th percentile sprint speed. Can see some Manny Machado-lite in his game. 

Pitching

Andrew Abbott – Abbott faced his first down month as a Major Leaguer. His underlying numbers were much better than his surface stats, but this was kind of the regression we’ve been expecting based on how hot he came out of the gates. How he responds will be interesting to watch.

Brandon Williamson- Williamson was the best pitcher on the Reds in August. He benefited from facing a weaker slate of opponents, but you have to execute against whoever is on your schedule & he did just that. He was 8th in all of baseball in K-BB% & 13th in xwOBA against. 

Graham Ashcraft – Ashcraft was probably the second best starter in Cincinnati this month. He massively outproduced his underlying numbers on the back of a low BABIP and an astronomical 91% strand rate. 

Minor League Check In

Connor Phillips – Phillips had a rough August in AAA. He did finish with a dominant start on 8/31 though. He definitely has a shot to debut this year still.

Chase Petty – A 2021 1st round pick, Petty had a good month at A+. He is a little further off, but will be worth watching for how he finishes 2023. 2024 might position him to make a late season debut next season.

Carlos Jorge – Jorge was promoted to A+ & is struggling to adjust so far. He is worth mentioning though because he totally destroyed low A. Since the Reds have promoted most every other top bat in the system, we need to take a look at some of the further out bats. Jorge is absolutely a guy to eyeball.

St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis has kept on playing poorly in August putting up a 11-16 record. The team made some significant sell-offs at the deadline, so it is hard to say this sputtering finish was not to be expected.

Offense: 2.4 (19th)

Pitching: 1.3 (21st)

Lineup

Willson Contreras – The eldest Contreras was productive in August. In 88 PAs he had a .357 wOBA & a 128 wRC+. It has been a strange year for Contreras. He has mostly underperformed his career norms and his xStats. I fully expect him to have a strong finish and remain a key piece for the Cards in 2024.

Paul Goldschmidt – Goldy is chugging along with strong production as usual. He has seen his ISO dip well below career norms and sitting at .181. This could be an early sign of decline, but he, like many of his teammates, is underperforming his xStats. While some decline is likely given his age, there is no reason to see him falling off of the cliff in 2024.

Tommy Edman – While Edman has been unable to match his wonderful 2023, August saw him produce well. His ISO sat at .221 and he smashed 5 homers & 6 swipes. I do not think he is as good as his 2022 final line, but I have little doubt that he is still a very good player.

Jordan Walker – Some might be tempted to look at Walker’s 2023 to date and say he wasn’t very good. To me, this feels like an overly pessimistic take. August was good & taking his overall line and xStats in combination with his young age – the future looks bright. I fully expect him to be an All Star during his mid-to-late 20s.

Masyn Winn – Got the call in August, so I just wanted to make note of that. Insignificant sample size to draw from. We will check back in next month with a little more big league information.

Pitching

Steven Matz – Matz was reclaiming his status as a good MLB arm and then was sidelined with a lat injury. His return is unclear, but the team did say he could be brought back in a relief capacity or a starter should he return.

JoJo Romero – JoJo Romero was excellent in August. In fact, he led the Cards in fWAR for the month at 0.7. Currently a part of a closer committee, he looks like a dominant back-end of the bullpen piece.

Zach Thompson – A 2019 first round pick, Thompson put together a good August audition. He had a pretty soft schedule of opponents, but he performed and that is all you can ask in that situation. A good place to build upon heading into September.

Minor League Check In

Tekoah Roby – Newly acquired at the deadline as a part of the Jordan Montgomery trade, Roby made his Cardinals debut at AA. In 3 innings he flashed some intriguing potential and will be one to follow in this system.

Tink Hence – Tink hit a wall in August. I have not seen any reports of his stuff declining, but he has reached a career high in IP so far, so there could be a connection there.

Thomas Saggese – Saggese is another newcomer to the Cards system. His arrival has seen him really go off in AA. He was already underrated in the Texas system, but he is crusading to erase that “underrated” label. In just 7 games for the Cards he has gone off with 5 doubles, 3 triples, 9 homers, 23 runs, 26 RBI, a triple slash of .352/.426/.714, 1.141 OPS, a .480 wOBA, & a 184 wRC+. Yikes!

This puts a bow on August in the NL Central. My current plan will be to touch on a “look back” at the season as a whole after the season concludes rather than strictly September. But things could change as the month ends and it might be appropriate to do a little bit of both. Hard to believe we are in the final month of the season, but here we are. Enjoy the last month and we will see you in early October for the last installment of Know Your Enemy 2023.

Minor League News And Brews: Picking Favorites And The Age Of Information Overload

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-9qgwr-149612e

Craig talks about how he picks his favorite players in the Minor Leagues, and how they are not always even the best on their own team. He then jumps into a conversation about the amount of information that is generated during each game that is played; with some being more of an educated guess, than actual facts.  

Craig Toth covers the Pirates for Inside The Bucs Basement, and is a huge Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Fan; especially when it comes to the Farm System. Listen. Subscribe. Share. We are “For Fans, By Fans & All Pirates Talk.” THE Pirates Fan Minor League Podcast found EVERYWHERE podcasts can be found and always at BucsInTheBasement.com!

Bucco Blasts: Oviedo Potential, Triolo Disrespect, More

8-31-23 – By Cody Flavell – @LetsTalkPit on Twitter

While the website publishing “Bucco Blasts” has changed, the content will be staying the same. That’s the cool thing about this lateral move that Gary and Co. have afforded me. I came to Gary asking if I could continue this weekly piece and he obliged.

If you’re unfamiliar with “Bucco Blasts”, let me introduce you. It’s very similar to Gary’s weekly “Five Thoughts at Five” except mine are typically only three or four and, of course, my own opinion.

Now to get into the actual meat of the content.

As it stands, the Pirates are coming off a fresh sweep of the Kansas City Royals. They stand at 62-73 on the season, slowly approaching their 67.5 win betting total on the season.

A 20-8 start slowly crept into nothing more than an anomaly for the remainder of the 2023 season. Injuries, underperformance, and flat out disappointment from a few players highlight what had the chance, at least through the end of April, to be a surprisingly special season on the North Shore.

Unfortunately, that will have to wait at least another year. But you didn’t need me to tell you that. If you’re reading this, you’ve kept up with these Young Bucs clear up to the point of reading this. The unofficial end of the Pirates season is just a week-and-a-half away as most of the city with forget the Pirates exist once that football flies through the air at 1 P.M. next Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. We here at Inside The Bucs Basement won’t leave the Buccos in the dark just yet.

Now, to actually begin the first edition of “Bucco Blasts” to be published on ITBB. Away we go…

Oviedo Has Makings of Legit Pitcher

We all watched Johan Oviedo dazzle the Royals this week. If you want to use the “take it with a grain of salt” approach by saying it’s just the Royals, I understand your line of thinking. However, pitchers don’t stumble into complete game shutouts against other major league hitters on accident.

The 25-year old has thrown 154.1 innings this season, nearly 100 innings more than he ever has at the big league level. Pittsburgh’s coaching staff said they were going to monitor his innings but we’re way past the point of that now. He’ll have 3-4 more turns in the rotation and he should make each one.

Look, he’s pitching with tons of confidence at the moment. He’s had stretches this season where he’s been un-hittable for a month straight and others where it was obvious why the Cardinals were willing to part with him for a rental in Jose Quintana last season.

He started seven games for the Pirates last season and another 27 this season. He’s got a 4.04 ERA across those 34 starts in a Bucco uniform. Considering the landscape of the Pirates’ pitching situation at the moment, I think anyone who’s a fan of the Pirates should be excited about that kind of consistency.

With just 16 dingers allowed this year, Oviedo has kept the ball in the ballpark and that’s great to see over the course of his first full season. His velocity isn’t suffering despite the heavy workload and he’s still effective this late season. Good on him and good on Ben Cherington and Co. for identifying him.

“What is a ‘Yute’?”

If you can’t name the quote the movie is from, shame on you. If you can, you’ll understand how it applies to this portion of the article.

Vinny Capra is a 27-year old baseball player cut from the same cloth of baseball players such as Josh VanMeter, Mark Mathias, and Dovydas Neverauskas. I don’t think I need to explain much here for you to get the point.

Yet, here we are, allowing him to play third base on nights when Ke’Bryan Hayes sits the bench as he inexplicably did Wednesday night. I know the Pirates said they’d limit him the rest of the season but with a day off Thursday and Hayes playing exceptionally good ball, that seems like coaching malpractice. However, I digress.

Capra has 20 career at-bats. His .200 batting average and .561 OPS in that time frame at 27-years old are indication enough that there is a reason he didn’t make his MLB debut until last season for the Blue Jays.

Jared Triolo, the 25-year old who made his MLB-debut this season and plays exceptionally good defense at the hot corner is being punished in Triple-A for being too good in Hayes’ absence. Not really, but come on.

I understand wanting him to play everyday. I don’t think Triolo is going to be a star in the majors but he also has the best batting average of any of the Pirates’ rookies. Don’t you think that’s worth keeping in the majors and seeing playing time on days when Hayes is out? Heck, let him rotate in at first base on occasion. There still is no true “guy” at that spot just yet. Let September be about trial and error.

Vinny ain’t no Yute and while Triolo doesn’t classify as a baby either at 25, he’s younger and has shown way more MLB promise than Cousin Capra.

Action Jackson a 2024 Starter?

Thinking about the possibility of Andre Jackson starting for the Pirates in 2024 isn’t the sexiest thought for their contending credentials. But he’s actually pitching better than anyone could’ve imagined.

On Wednesday, he struck out seven batters across 5.2 innings including the first five he saw to open the game. He’s got 15 strikeouts across three starts and has a 2.92 ERA in six total appearances in Pittsburgh since being claimed by the Buccos. That’ll play.

Following the game, Derek Shelton was asked if Jackson could just become a starter for the Pirates. He eluded to the fact that such an occurrence is possible, if not likely. If this continues, why can’t he be in the Opening Day rotation?

After Roansy Contreras and Luis Ortiz flamed out and are looking to come back to relevancy, the Pirates really only have Mitch Keller and Oviedo as part of their true rotation at the moment. Everything else has been a “roll with the tide” kind of deal.

If he continues to pitch well over his final few appearances, there is no reason to think he’ll set himself up as a front-runner to at least begin 2024 in the starting rotation with a strong Spring Training next year.

Again, this isn’t a sexy outcome. But if it works, it works. No use messing with a good thing while it lasts. If he is just a place holder that can easily be relegated to the bullpen when Paul Skenes makes his MLB debut next year, what is so wrong with that?