“Maybe there’s something there.”
That’s ESPN’s baseball insider Jeff Passan, who reluctantly said the Pirates are the second-best team in the National League Central.
The Milwaukee Brewers are in front of the division and several games back is everyone else.
That includes the Pirates, who one day are in second place and the next day, in last.
But, with the pitching of Mitch Keller, Jared Jones and Paul Skenes, Passan says the Pirates could be that team…if they improve their offense.
Passan made the comments recently on the Talkin’ Baseball show from Jomboy.
But, he says he isn’t “fully there yet” with Pittsburgh.
“I want to say Pittsburgh . . . I still look at that lineup and I’m like how are they going to score runs?” asked Passan.
But, when you can trot out Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Mitch Keller, when you can come with Colin Holderman in the eight, it’s got a sub-one ERA this year and David Bednar, who after a bad start has stabilized himself in the ninth, it’s the sort of pitching that would be so good in October if they can just manager to get themselves there,” said Passan.
The issue is the lineup.
Just look at Thursday afternoon’s lineup. After Hayes, Reynold and Cruz, the Pirates have Edward Olivares, Rowdy Tellez, Jared Triolo, Jack Suwinski, Yasmani Grandal and Michael A. Taylor batting, in that order.
That isn’t the kind of order that is getting you to October.
But maybe, if the Pirates can get some of their own bats going and get a decent bat before the trade deadline, Pittsburgh can make some noise in late September.
They’re very much in the Wild Card race, the time is now… if only they can hit.