See how the ‘Crew stacks up against N.L. Central foes: Cubs , Cardinals, Reds, Brewers
OK, seriously. Who thought the Pirates would be challenging for the NL Central division title this year? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?
Yeah, didn’t think so.
Hey, don’t feel bad, I didn’t either! I know a couple of Pirates fans who didn’t even dream of it.
But, the fact of the matter is…they are. 2011 could be the year the Pirates actually make the playoffs.
The thing is, though, if you own any of the pesky Pirates in fantasy, there likely isn’t much of a chance you make your playoffs. The ole’ double-edged sword.
Outfield:
Andrew McCutchen is awesome. A bonafide stud. He helps you in literally every category, even if he’s not a complete beast in any one area. He’s a future first-round fantasy draft pick…if you haven’t already picked him there.
Besides McCutch, I wouldn’t advise owning anybody in the Bucs’ outfield. Garrett Jones was a popular sleeper choice earlier in the year, but he’s been bad across the board lately.
Jose Tabata started the season on a roll, stealing bags, getting on base, stroking some singles. Unfortunately, he got hurt, but even before he hit the DL, Tabata was slumping mightily. Despite the hot start, the young outfielder has just 39 runs, 17 extra-base hits, 15 RBIs and 14 steals to go along with a .265/.351/.354 slash line. Not terrible, of course, but not the stuff of fantasy stardom, for sure.
First Base:
Lyle Overbay? If you’re seriously owning him in fantasy, you have bigger issues than reading some of my writing, that’s for sure. He does nothing well in fantasy.
Second Base:
Neil Walker has really come into his own, providing the Pirates with a quality, middle-of-the-order bat. He’s been just as good in fantasy, driving in runs, scoring runs, hitting a couple homers, stealing a few bags, hitting at a respectable, albeit not-flashy, .264 clip. Considering you probably got him cheap, not a bad option at the shallow second base position.
Shortstop:
Who plays shortstop for the Pirates? Ronny Cedeno? Brandon Wood? Chase d’Arnaud? My question here should tell you all you need to know. Shortstop in Pittsburgh is a fantasy wasteland.
Third Base:
Pedro Alvarez was supposed to be the next coming of Frank Robinson at third base. He was the big bopper fantasy owners were missing at the super-shallow hot corner. Instead, Pedro has slugged just .304 in 125 at-bats and has spent much of the year on the shelf. Ouch.
Catcher:
Whoa. If you thought shortstop was a fantasy wasteland, look at the Pitt catchers. Jaramillo, Snyder, Doumit, McKenry, Brown, Fryer, Toregas. I could tell you the first names of maybe three of those guys without looking them up. Each of the seven guys has caught at least three games for the Buccos this year, but none has been worth even a sniffle in fantasy. Leave. Them. Alone.
Starting 5:
Now this is a tricky spot. All of the Pirates starters are worth a look in fantasy, but none are bound to send you to the championship. Kevin Correia is near the top of the Major Leagues in wins, boasts a solid ERA and WHIP, but barely strikes out 4.5 guys per nine innings. Paul Maholm gets more K’s, has a better ERA and WHIP than Correia, but has a tough-luck 6-9 record. James McDonald has a better K rate than both, but walks too many guys, gives up too many hits and has a subpar 5-4 record. Charlie Morton has been OK, but nothing great. Jeff Karstens has a great ERA (2.55) and WHIP (1.07), but that’s it. All in all, you could do worse than any of these five guys, but you could also do much better.
Bullpen:
Heading into the season, it appeared the Pirates’ bullpen was going to be the strong point of this team, even if it wasn’t going to be worth much in fantasy. More than halfway through the year, it definitely has been both. Evan Meek was supposed to be the Buccos’ top reliever, but has spent much of the year on the DL with various ailments. However, the ‘pen has been ridiculous even without him. Joel Hanrahan is 2011’s top closer, without a doubt. 26-for-26 in save chances, a ridiculous 1.34 ERA and .92 WHIP and a decent K rate support that case. Daniel McCutchen, Chris Resop and Jose Veras all boast great ERAs and WHIPs and provide for four quality setup men. If your league counts holds, you may want to invest in any of these three guys. The Pirates are not going to win many games via the blowout, so expect plenty of save and hold opportunities.
Overall:
I would have expected the Pirates to be much, much worse in both fantasy and real life. But then again, so did everybody. What does the future bring? It’s hard to say, but it’s looking brighter and brighter by the day.
Pirates Fantasy Quotient: 50/100 (and climbing)
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Good stuff. I agree with all of it, except for one thing: Ryan Doumit. Before his injury, he was outplaying Chris Snyder by a wide margin. His .269 BA, .333 OBP and .441 SLG in 103 PA are nice numbers for a shallow catcher position. Obviously he’s not worth anything until he comes back, but if he returns and hits like he did before the injury, he’s definitely worth a look. Good stuff though!