The 2021 Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Team Season Thread

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

13 games left for the bucs. Need to go 7-6 to avoid losing 100 games.

[robbiestoupe]

Looks like he modeled his delivery after Chris sale

He'll need to work on masking the delivery. Pretty easy to tell when he's whipping his arm back quickly, it's the heater

[willeyeam]

[willeyeam]

Championship

[Morkle]

When do we get to see winning at the MLB level. That's where I care.

[Troy Loney]

Tbd

[Morkle]

Like I get this is all good news, but this is exactly the time of the year where the media starts talking about how well the future looks.

[willeyeam]

Pro-Pirate propaganda from Baseball America again.

I kid. But the first wave of this talent should come in the 2nd half of next year. 2023 should be palatable if they add some decent vets to the youngsters. Gonna need some starting pitching as most of the next crop are hitting prospects. They don't need Max Scherzer, but something halfway decent should happen

[Troy Loney]

I assume ulf was being tongue in cheek with that.

But yeah, the major league team didn’t show much of anything this year. Tough to really think when they could be good, they have hurdles to clear before being above pathetic.

NH was pretty clear that he wanted to be like the A’s (perennial contenders with cheap roster). I am not sure if that is what BC ultimately wants to do, but they only have so much time until their massive farm system starts leaking out of their pockets because of the 40-man (2023 and beyond), so they can’t be in farm system build phase for any longer.

[Morkle]

I'm fine if they're in a farm system build. They talk about the Marlins or whatever doing that where they're always flowing with pitching talent from the farm system.

If they do that, and have a good team every few years, I'll deal with the 90-100 loss teams, but it's gotta come sooner or later.

[Troy Loney]

Jfc

[willeyeam]

Spider tack

[Troy Loney]

I wonder if the Pirates have the best former players' team.
They don't really have a SS, the C is randomly Diaz being a power-hitter in CO, and Harrison having 2021 resurgence at 3B. The lineup could be:

2B: Frazier
LF: McCutchen
CF: Marte
RF: Meadows
1B: Bell
3B: Harrison
C: Diaz
SS: Mercer

Bench: Dickerson, Grossman, Luplow, Reyes, (whatever backup scrub catcher)


The BP is serviceable, but the rotation is so good it wouldn't matter.
SP: Cole, Morton, Musgrove, Glasnow, Taillon
RP: Melancon, Hudson, RichRod, Watson, Holmes, Justin Wilson, Happ

[DigitalGypsy66]

Do you know who started to hit? Vanessa Hudgens' boyfriend.

I know everyone hates DK. Loathes him. But he has a very good young baseball writer who noticed Tucker's swing and stance had changed over the last few weeks, and that good results would follow. Who knows if the hitting will be consistent, or will survive pitchers adjusting and then the offseason. But I do like internal competition, and forcing management to make tough roster decisions.

[willeyeam]

Cole Tucker gas been bad. But seems like a good dude and so I hope he figures it out.

[willeyeam]

But if he doesn't he still has Vanessa Hudgens so I guess he'll be okay

[Troy Loney]

Real clash of the titans, Tucker vs Newman 2022 spring training. A NH production.

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

I give DG credit for sipping the kool aid but during this hot streak tucker's ops is still below 700. That is Tabata territory.

[DigitalGypsy66]

I mean, he's not turning into Derek **** Jeter, but his bat has improved. A little.

[Dickie Dunn]

Good on Tucker for trying. I wouldn’t care if I ever hit a baseball again.

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

Since DG is fooling himself, I might as well join in on the fun...Cocaine Mitch Keller hasn't been in his last few starts.

[robbiestoupe]

I wanna play!

The Pirates have been playing .600 ball their last 10 games.

[King Colby]

Mercer was pretty solid when he played here

[willeyeam]

[willeyeam]

Oppo no doubter. That's some power