Could 2017 Be a Special Season

[fjk090852-7]

It is March 7 and every baseball fan thinks their team will be playing games in late October. As we continue through spring training it appears there is something different about the Pirates. Sure they did not acquire a big free agent this winter and the payroll may not be 100 million but I like the construction of the team. I think the bullpen will be very strong. Hudson, Rivero, Niccassio, and Watson are going to hold leads. I believe Cutch will have a much improved year over last season. Cole, Taillon and Nova will be a very strong top of the rotation staff. Guys like Glasnow, Brault and Hutchison will be strong number five starters. If and it is a big if, they can avoid a major injury or two this team will be playing baseball into October.

[SammyKhalifa]

I think even more than usual there is a very wide spread of "likely" outcomes for this team.

[Bobster21]

333F3E656C656D60677862550 wrote: It is March 7 and every baseball fan  thinks their team will be playing games in late October. As we continue through spring training it appears there is something different about the Pirates. Sure they did not acquire  a big free agent this winter and the payroll may not be 100 million but I like the construction of the team. I think the bullpen will be very strong. Hudson, Rivero, Niccassio, and Watson are going to hold leads. I believe Cutch will have a much improved year over last season. Cole, Taillon and Nova will be a very strong top of the rotation staff. Guys like Glasnow, Brault and Hutchison will be strong number five starters. If and it is a big if, they can avoid a major injury or two this team will be playing baseball into October.


Glasnow is a wild card. At this stage of his career he could be either an asset or a liability. I don't see either Brault or Hutchison as strong #5s. More like weak #5s. I like the positional starters. The bench seems weak. Watson struggled as a closer. Cutch and Cole should improve. A full year of Bell could be good. But late October? I dunno about that.

[SammyKhalifa]

735E53424554430300310 wrote: It is March 7 and every baseball fan  thinks their team will be playing games in late October. As we continue through spring training it appears there is something different about the Pirates. Sure they did not acquire  a big free agent this winter and the payroll may not be 100 million but I like the construction of the team. I think the bullpen will be very strong. Hudson, Rivero, Niccassio, and Watson are going to hold leads. I believe Cutch will have a much improved year over last season. Cole, Taillon and Nova will be a very strong top of the rotation staff. Guys like Glasnow, Brault and Hutchison will be strong number five starters. If and it is a big if, they can avoid a major injury or two this team will be playing baseball into October.


Glasnow is a wild card. At this stage of his career he could be either an asset or a liability. I don't see either Brault or Hutchison as strong #5s. More like weak #5s. I like the positional starters. The bench seems weak. Watson struggled as a closer. Cutch and Cole should improve. A full year of Bell could be good. But late October? I dunno about that.






I think people are underestimating how wicked this offense could be.  People are focusing on the pitching but these bats could mash.



Or, again, they could fall on their faces.  Neither would be shocking. 



I wouldn't be floored of they went to the NLCS or if they lost 90 games.

[dmetz]

Their run production was average last year and that was with key pieces falling on their faces. so if they do end up dropping 90 games, to me it's a very safe bet that means the rotation fell apart.



The bats should be there for 90 wins.

[rucker59@gmail.com]

I absolutely agree that this could be a special year (which is why it's so frustrating that they won....never mind, I'm not going back down this path).



If Kang is in the line up fairly soon, I REALLY like the line up a lot. The bench can't be as strong as last year, but Jason and Freese give some nice depth.



The rotation is the BIG Q. Ifs all over the place. I'm pleasantly surprised by the pitching this spring, including the AAA guys and also Holmes. But it's only spring...



IF the top three in the rotation can pitch to expectations and if Glasnow could come in mid-season and be dominate then I think this is a team capable of hanging close to the Cubs. If the Cubs win 100+ again, they win going away. But if the Cubs win more like 95 I think the Pirates could make it interesting.



The best way to get the Cubs to 95? The Pirates need to beat the Cubs. Last year the Pirates helped the Cubs tremendously by losing 15 of 19 games. If the Pirates can go 9-9 this year the Pirates have a shot.

[CarolinaBucco]

There's a lot I like about this team, but there are 2 (major) factors that I believe will ultimately catch up with this team and derail their playoff plans:



1. Not nearly enough starting pitching depth. Not even close. You know at least one of our guys will underachieve significantly, and at least one will get hurt. I still believe NH needed to sign 1 or ideally 2 starters in the No. 3/No. 4 caliber range. That decision will come back to haunt us.



2. Lack of power. And literally no power on the bench. Not enough attention is being paid to the fact that we lost a boatload of power with the losses of Joyce & S-Rod, and they have not been replaced. Where is this team going to make up that loss?

[dmetz]

6240534E4D484F40635442424E210 wrote: There's a lot I like about this team, but there are 2 (major) factors that I believe will ultimately catch up with this team and derail their playoff plans:



1. Not nearly enough starting pitching depth. Not even close. You know at least one of our guys will underachieve significantly, and at least one will get hurt. I still believe NH needed to sign 1 or ideally 2 starters in the No. 3/No. 4 caliber range. That decision will come back to haunt us.



2. Lack of power. And literally no power on the bench. Not enough attention is being paid to the fact that we lost a boatload of power with the losses of Joyce & S-Rod, and they have not been replaced. Where is this team going to make up that loss?




First, Bell playing first over Jaso makes up for 10-15.

Second, Kang playing a full season at 3b is another 10-15.



There. Easy as that. Factor in Polanco still growing and realizing his power and Cutch having a very lackluster year last year and there's a real likelihood we hit more homers than last year.

[SammyKhalifa]

515850414F350 wrote:   



There.  Easy as that.   Factor in Polanco still growing and realizing his power and Cutch having a very lackluster year last year and there's a real likelihood we hit more homers than last year.


I agree but it's just as easy to envision Cutch having another bad year, Kang being whatever and Bell not making the jump as successfully as we'd like. Like I said I think our offense will be good, but if they aren't it isn't exactly a shocking outcome.

[dogknot17@yahoo.co]

I know I am one of the optimistic posters here, but I am more excited this year than last year entering the season.



I think the pitching has enough depth. It is hard to predict injuries, so we really can't do that. Having three starters is a very good. Then the Pirates have experience at the bottom end and a top prospect to be called up mid-season.



I expect the offense to be better. McCutchen, Harrison and Cervelli should rebound. Bell is better than Jaso. Mercer can improve too. Then you have breakouts ready to happen for Polanco and Marte.



The Bullpen should be solid too. Hughes is probably the worst guy out there. I hope Watson can rack up the saves (I don't like a lefty closer).



Overall, I think the Pirates will compete. Little improvements from last year's players will go a long way. I always thought the team was built for this year, but I did think other players would still be here (Walker, Alvarez, Liriano, Melancon).