The Pirates have mostly been a team that has ranged from pretty bad to very bad this season. While they recently helped the Mets in a big way by taking three out of four from the Braves, they lost six in a row before that.
On offense, they're a two-man team, carried by slugging centerfielder Bryan Reynolds and slappy secondbaseman Adam Frazier. Both are switch-hitters, both have made the All-Star Team, and they sit fourth and second in the league in batting average, respectively. Clearly the team is rebuilding, and they could well move one of them to that end.
The rest of the offense has either been out of their depth, hurt, or both. Currently four players from their regular lineup are on the injured list, so there's a good chance you'll hear some new names this weekend. Also on the DL is Mets castoff Phillip Evans, who had a strong start as their corner utility man before falling off, pulling a hammy, and then returning to the IL after suffering a blow to the head on the basepaths this weekend. You finally get your break and then things start to break.
They've had some breaks in staying afloat, in that (like the Mets), some of their replacement players have outplayed the playerz they've replace, and they've gotten contributions from veterans Ben Gamel (currently on a seven-game hit streak) and Wilmer Difo, as well as a breakthrough from second-year player Ke'Bryan Hayes, son of longtime MLB-er and almost-2000-Met Charlie Hayes.
Doing the lion's share of the catching has been Jason Stallings, who provided all the runs for the team with a three-run homer as they lost 11-3 to the Braves in the series finale. Jason is the son of Kevin Stallings, a journeyman NCAA basketball coach who was heading the University of Pittsburgh men's team when his son came up with the Bucs back in 2016. That might have made a warm story, but an embattled Stallings was fired a year or two later with pretty much the worst winning percentage in Pitt history.
Oh, well, at least he had his son to root for, and Jason took over the starting job last season, and is your typical sluggish, .700-ish OPS catcher with puncher's power and trouble with breaking balls. He's really big (6'5") for a catcher, but I guess that comes with the territory when you're from a basketball family. He's a well-regarded receiver with a strong arm, but his size affects his throwing. Personally, I like anybody who replaces Francisco Cervelli.
Anybody want to jump in here with information about what's happening at first, now's your chance!
Piracy 2021
Piracy 2021
A Shaolin monk does not sell himself for a handful of rice.
Re: Piracy 2021
For what it's worth, Jon Heyman said that the Mets are interested in Adam Frazier. He's a 2B so if that's accurate, maybe they plan on moving McNeil to 3B and dealing JD and/or Villar.
Re: Piracy 2021
Forecast looks pretty rotten. Maybe tomorrow they can play three games, each 6 innings in duration, Little League style.
Re: Piracy 2021
Tell us about that firstbaseman.
A Shaolin monk does not sell himself for a handful of rice.
Re: Piracy 2021
Wednesday that position was fielded by someone named John Nogowski. Former A's draft pick with 34 ABs in his MLB career, all but four of them this season. He's a bit goofy looking and he's from Tallahassee. I heard a rumor that he eats a live otter before each game. An adult one. Skin still on it (it's a panhandle thing).