OT: Buccos.....Opening Day Sunday

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

What's yinz predictions for UR Buccos an' at this year?

I say a significant step back this year. 82-80. Just brutal division, unsure rotation after Liriano and Cole. Some questions in the lineup.

I think if/when Glasnow and Taillon get to the bigs hopefully at some point this year, and Josh Bell, that will bode well for next year. But I see a definite slide backwards this year after 3 great years.

 

[ratking17]

I see the bucs making the playoffs and getting to 90 wins. Back end of the rotation is suspect but it has been that way for some time now. Need to start better in april. Pedro doesn't bother me as I think his power can be replicated in the current lineup. I do worry about the bullpen and the innings some of those guys have put up. I am overall cautiously optimistic.

The pessimistic side of me sees this teams window has closed. Cubs and cards roll to 100 games and we have a losing season. Polanco doesn't improve, middle infield is weak, kang turns out to be a fluke and 1st base turns into a black hole.

I will go with my heart over probably what my mind states

 

[Ski11585]

I see the Pirates winning around 87 games. I think it's way premature to claim the Bucs window has closed. Let's not forget the lessons we've learned in the past. Remember last opening day when all the buzz was surrounding the Padres and their "great offseason?" The Cubs made substantial moves, but just like we can say "what if Polanco doesn't improve or Kang is a fluke," we can easily say that Zobrist is over the hill and Arrieta was a fluke.

 

[Pittbaseball11]

Small step back so they can graduate some of the logjam in AAA. Should be set up well for next year.

They've also had tremendous fortune with injuries recently. Feel like they're bound to get bit eventually.

The projection systems seem higher on them than I would have expected. 87 wins is a lot, you can't have any bad luck and hope to hit that number.

The only place I have seen anybody suggesting that their window is close to closing is in Pittsburgh (shocker). They're set up pretty effing well. The Cardinals are the team who people seem to think has the closing window.

 

[9nationalchampionships]

Our pitching staff looks to be no where as good as the Cardinals or Cubs. We may sqeek in the last wild card spot but I am not expecting it.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I see the Pirates winning around 87 games. I think it's way premature to claim the Bucs window has closed. Let's not forget the lessons we've learned in the past. Remember last opening day when all the buzz was surrounding the Padres and their "great offseason?" The Cubs made substantial moves, but just like we can say "what if Polanco doesn't improve or Kang is a fluke," we can easily say that Zobrist is over the hill and Arrieta was a fluke.

I am not saying it closed. I am saying a slide back this year, an adjustment as some of their next line of touted prospects get to the big leagues.

 

[QuitCallingMeWanny]

90-72, WC
Cutch hits the 30 dinger mark
Harrison leads the NL in doubles
Taillon, not Glasnow, comes up in June and wins 10 games
Kang hits 20hr's
Cole wins 19 again
Polanco 16-75
Sauerkrat Saul wins the most races

 

[Ski11585]

90-72, WC
Cutch hits the 30 dinger mark
Harrison leads the NL in doubles
Taillon, not Glasnow, comes up in June and wins 10 games
Kang hits 20hr's
Cole wins 19 again
Polanco 16-75
Sauerkrat Saul wins the most races

On a more lighthearted note, there is not a day that goes by where I am not legitimately angry that Potato Pete was removed from the regular rotation. Potato and Cheese is like, the single most common type available! And you have onion and jalapeño? Infuriating.

 

[pittbb80]

90-72, WC
Cutch hits the 30 dinger mark
Harrison leads the NL in doubles
Taillon, not Glasnow, comes up in June and wins 10 games
Kang hits 20hr's
Cole wins 19 again
Polanco 16-75
Sauerkrat Saul wins the most races

Joe Starkey is that you? Tend to agree with this preiction

 

[wbrpanther]

What's yinz predictions for UR Buccos an' at this year?

I say a significant step back this year. 82-80. Just brutal division, unsure rotation after Liriano and Cole. Some questions in the lineup.

I think if/when Glasnow and Taillon get to the bigs hopefully at some point this year, and Josh Bell, that will bode well for next year. But I see a definite slide backwards this year after 3 great years.

I really don't see why everybody is calling for a 10 to 15 win reduction this year. Last year the Pirates won 98 games, the second most in baseball, after having a horrible April. McCutcheon was never really healthy. first base was a black hole. Kang got hurt with a month left in the season. Harrison was out for a long stretch.

Winning 98 games last year was something of a real accomplishment. The ownership and management of the Pirates is excellent. The only significant loss from last year in my book was JA Happ. Walker is replaceable and first base has to be better. A healthy Cutch alone should keep the Pirates from any great fall. If the team gets of to any kind of a decent start in April, which means a good starting rotation, the team will be fine. And mid season help could be on the way with Taillon, Glasnow and Bell.I don't see the Pirates falling below the mid nineties in wins. And don't be surprised if the Cubs don't match their pre season hype.

 

[NTOP]

On a more lighthearted note, there is not a day that goes by where I am not legitimately angry that Potato Pete was removed from the regular rotation. Potato and Cheese is like, the single most common type available! And you have onion and jalapeño? Infuriating.

Well, if you want to call in a bet for Jalapeno.....you must hit "2" first.

 

[OriginalEther]

I really don't see why everybody is calling for a 10 to 15 win reduction this year. Last year the Pirates won 98 games, the second most in baseball, after having a horrible April. McCutcheon was never really healthy. first base was a black hole. Kang got hurt with a month left in the season. Harrison was out for a long stretch.

Winning 98 games last year was something of a real accomplishment. The ownership and management of the Pirates is excellent. The only significant loss from last year in my book was JA Happ. Walker is replaceable and first base has to be better. A healthy Cutch alone should keep the Pirates from any great fall. If the team gets of to any kind of a decent start in April, which means a good starting rotation, the team will be fine. And mid season help could be on the way with Taillon, Glawsnow and Bell.I don't see the Pirates falling below the mid nineties in wins. And don't be surprised if the Cubs don't match their pre season hype.

Some of it are people being self loathing cynics who don't want to be wrong about the Nuttings, but the other part is that 98 wins is a lot of wins. I certainly think it will be very hard to have a .750 winning percentage against non divisional opponents.

 

[drunkinoakland]

93 or 94 wins. Best roster we have fielded in the past 4 years IMO (assuming we stay healthy).

 

[Black Panther]

Why is the opener Sunday instead of Monday? Still haven't heard why that is.I know espn has had a Sunday night opener before.Does national tv have something to do with it?

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

ESPN is showing games all day on Sunday. The Pirates - Cardinals game is the first game of the day, and therefore the season.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Some of it are people being self loathing cynics who don't want to be wrong about the Nuttings, but the other part is that 98 wins is a lot of wins. I certainly think it will be very hard to have a .750 winning percentage against non divisional opponents.

3 straight years of really not having some major, prolonged injuries to key guys, again, I am not saying this window is done. By a long shot. I am just saying this is a bit of a recalibration year.

 

[OriginalEther]

3 straight years of really not having some major, prolonged injuries to key guys, again, I am not saying this window is done. By a long shot. I am just saying this is a bit of a recalibration year.

I agree.
Wasn't referencing you on the SLY comment. Think we know who I'd be referring to

 

[drunkinoakland]

3 straight years of really not having some major, prolonged injuries to key guys, again, I am not saying this window is done. By a long shot. I am just saying this is a bit of a recalibration year.

Even though Cutch was in the lineup, he spent over a month playing as a below replacement level player last year. That is worse than being on the DL.

His WAR will be 1-2 Wins better this year. He is staring 30 in the face, not 32 or 33 and I think his game will age better than some other post steroid era guys.

They also played without Kang, Mercer, and JHay for parts of last year, so 2 of the 4 starting infielders were out at times.

I think the only big injury candidates based on history and our good fortune the past 2 years are the brothers Francisco. Either of those would be devastating thoughm

 

[NTOP]

Even though Cutch was in the lineup, he spent over a month playing as a below replacement level player last year. That is worse than being on the DL.

His WAR will be 1-2 Wins better this year. He is staring 30 in the face, not 32 or 33 and I think his game will age better than some other post steroid era guys.

They also played without Kang, Mercer, and JHay for parts of last year, so 2 of the 4 starting infielders were out at times.

I think the only big injury candidates based on history and our good fortune the past 2 years are the brothers Francisco. Either of those would be devastating thoughm

When will the post-steroid era begin?? Is there an official date?? 8/2/2024, maybe??

 

[drunkinoakland]

When will the post-steroid era begin?? Is there an official date?? 8/2/2024, maybe??

Considering the best players in baseball are 23-28 years old and not 28-38 anymore, I'd say for the most part baseball is cleaned up except for a few guys (cough, Papi).

 

[JoseLind13]

In 2015, Burnett, Kang, Harrison, Mercer, Stewart, Morton, Morse, and Cumpton all spent significant time on the DL, while others, including McCutchen, Marte, and Cervelli missed time and played at a reduced level through injuries at times without going to the DL. I wouldn't agree they haven't been bitten by injuries at all.

Cubs look the best on paper now, but didn't at the start of last season. The reason? Player development and emergence of new superstars. That is the same unknown factor for the 2016-17-18 Pirates. Marte and Polonco have huge ceilings that have not been reached. Somehow, Cutch seems to get better when you think he is already maxed. The shot term end of rotation that we see today has some huge ceiling talent developing in the minors to replace them. Do I expect another 98'wins? No, but I wouldn't be surprised if there is not the big decline so many are expecting and they are in the thick of the pennant race all year.

 

[passedout]

Don't think we are missing much from last year, so I think it will be business as usual. Cards are gonna take a step back, Cubs will win the division by 5 games (my prediction). I don't think losing Happ will be a big deal at all. He is an innings eater, filler, the Pirates had him well-placed in the rotation - he won some games but in his final nine starts he faced 6 losing teams, so it padded his stats and therefore his worth. I think they improved the rotation. Nicasio has looked great this spring, is a power pitcher, who is motivated to get back in the starting rotation. If nothing else, he's going to give them real good innings to start the year till June-- hopefully he can stay healthy. If not, Glasnow and Taillion will step up. If Liriano or Cole get hurt, then they have some issues with unproven 1&2 starters. Hopefully the OF really produces because production from the infield will be avg except for Kang.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I guess the main reason why I think there will be a step back this year is that only 14 teams in the last like 70 years have made the playoffs 4 straight years. The Pirates never did that. I am just thinking that, in this division, they will not just take a step back, but teams like the Dodgers/Giants or Sens/Mets will grab at least one of the wild cards this year.

 

[wicker]

Lots of bad NL teams. Parts could win 92 and miss out, but I think they'll finish ahead of StL and get another playoff berth

 

[Pittbaseball11]

LOVE the opening day lineup, in theory. Obviously I'm assuming they'll more or less swap Kang for Freese in the future.

But, Jaso leading off with Cutch 2nd and then just stacking your best hitters behind them is fantastic.

Hurdle drives me nuts in-game but he's been good about implementing optimal strategy in a macro sense. Far more receptive to it than somebody like a Matt Williams or Dusty Baker was.

 

[OH Pete]

But, Jaso leading off with Cutch 2nd and then just stacking your best hitters behind them is fantastic.

Unconventional batting order. But after seeing it once through the order, I like it. Puts a ton of pressure on the pitcher to throw strikes and avoid walks. Can't pitch around anyone.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Have to admit it is so nice to have a baseball game to watch. Requalify that, it is so nice to have a contender to watch. After those 20 years, you still pinch yourselves sometimes.

 

[Pittbaseball11]

Unconventional batting order. But after seeing it once through the order, I like it. Puts a ton of pressure on the pitcher to throw strikes and avoid walks. Can't pitch around anyone.

Yeah for a few years there's been some pining for managers batting their best hitter 2nd.

Reasons being that 1) it gets your best hitter an extra 20 ABs or so over the course of the year and 2) it should put runners on the bases in optimal position for your other good hitters, with a minimal number of outs.

It's better than having a crappier "bat control" hitter batting 2nd who might not do much to advance both himself and the runner in front of him.

If you support this style of lineup, you're pretty much of the mind that RBI are a product of opportunity and all you need to do is put good hitters in position to knock guys in and they'll happen.

 

[Pittbaseball11]

Oh my god. Clint brought Tony Watson in before the 8th inning because the match ups favored him. This is astounding.

 

[Ski11585]

LOVE the opening day lineup, in theory. Obviously I'm assuming they'll more or less swap Kang for Freese in the future.

But, Jaso leading off with Cutch 2nd and then just stacking your best hitters behind them is fantastic.

Hurdle drives me nuts in-game but he's been good about implementing optimal strategy in a macro sense. Far more receptive to it than somebody like a Matt Williams or Dusty Baker was.

I feel like Hurdle gets way too much grief. I've said it before, but a manager has three responsibilities. They implement large scale strategy and the FOs vision, from lineups to analytics. They handle the in-game tactical decisions. And they motivate their guys in the locker room. Good managers do two out of the three. I think there are very few "great" managers who do everything across the board.

For all fans like to overanalyze Hurdle's decisions, like starting S-Rod in the WC last year - which had no actual impact - he's a darn good manager.

Have to admit it is so nice to have a baseball game to watch. Requalify that, it is so nice to have a contender to watch. After those 20 years, you still pinch yourselves sometimes.

I know. There's absolutely a tiny part of me that is still waiting for the Buccos to turn back into pumpkins.

 

[Pittbaseball11]

I feel like Hurdle gets way too much grief. I've said it before, but a manager has three responsibilities. They implement large scale strategy and the FOs vision, from lineups to analytics. They handle the in-game tactical decisions. And they motivate their guys in the locker room. Good managers do two out of the three. I think there are very few "great" managers who do everything across the board.

For all fans like to overanalyze Hurdle's decisions, like starting S-Rod in the WC last year - which had no actual impact - he's a darn good manager.



I know. There's absolutely a tiny part of me that is still waiting for the Buccos to turn back into pumpkins.

Overall I agree. I think my frustration with Hurdle is that if he would just do LESS he'd be so much better. Like, I don't think he necessarily needs to improve on anything -- he just needs to not meddle and let things play out.

In late game situations he will call for bunts and hit-and-runs that are totally unnecessary and counterproductive, and it drives me crazy.

Baseball is just so different these days. I have old Baseball Americas where pitchers have special notations next to their names if they throw 90 MPH or higher. That's more or less a requirement these days. Something like a hit-and-run is just so difficult to execute because guys can't really influence how or where a ball is hit anymore. It's why shifts are so effective.

 

[Pittbaseball11]

As an aside, I like the Pirates' new announcer. He seems very.....modern? Seems in tune with what is relevant in today's game, or at least with what the Pirates want to do. I feel like they have a good balance now where Walk and Blass can sort of placate the older folks and Block can maybe speak on things that the younger generation finds relevant.

 

[drunkinoakland]

As an aside, I like the Pirates' new announcer. He seems very.....modern? Seems in tune with what is relevant in today's game, or at least with what the Pirates want to do. I feel like they have a good balance now where Walk and Blass can sort of placate the older folks and Block can maybe speak on things that the younger generation finds relevant.

Caught some of Block and I echo what you are saying, but I don't much like his voice right now. Hopefully it grows on me.

 

[ratking17]

As an aside, I like the Pirates' new announcer. He seems very.....modern? Seems in tune with what is relevant in today's game, or at least with what the Pirates want to do. I feel like they have a good balance now where Walk and Blass can sort of placate the older folks and Block can maybe speak on things that the younger generation finds relevant.

For the most part he stuck to just calling the game. He didn't have a "winning call" like there was noooooooo doubt about it or raise the jolly Roger and I was fine with that. I thought walk kind of went a little harsh on debating whether it was a cutter or a slider in maybe the 2nd inning. Overall, a solid voice. He tweeted out a few stats during the game as well. Pittsburghers will like him not appearing to pretend you are from Pittsburgh when you aren't. Solid work by him

 

[Pittbaseball11]

I agree with both drunk and ratking.

It's weird, I liked him a lot on the radio when I listened in Spring Training. On TV? He was kind of "eh".

I think mostly I liked him when it came to explaining and talking about the game on radio, but when it came to just wanting a "voice" in the background on TV to summarize what was going on he was just alright.

Neverett wasn't great but to me he always had a "national" type of voice. And, not surprisingly, I loved him on TV but really didn't find him particularly strong on the radio. It seemed like he was always a TV guy. Good voice, but not much substance behind it.

 

[bwh05]

I'm so happy Neverett is gone. He sounded like a comedian doing an impression of a baseball announcer. The new guy seems fine.

 

[Pittbaseball11]

 

[vietvet1]

LOVE the opening day lineup, in theory. Obviously I'm assuming they'll more or less swap Kang for Freese in the future.

But, Jaso leading off with Cutch 2nd and then just stacking your best hitters behind them is fantastic.

Hurdle drives me nuts in-game but he's been good about implementing optimal strategy in a macro sense. Far more receptive to it than somebody like a Matt Williams or Dusty Baker was.

Agree completely on Hurdle...." Mr. Shift" and leave the starter in too long.

 

[drunkinoakland]

Agree completely on Hurdle...." Mr. Shift" and leave the starter in too long.

The shift comes from the front office and absolutely works.

 

[pittdan77]

I predict that I still won't care. Being fed turds annually for twenty years and being told it was nearly impossible to do better was sickening. Impossible to explain how painful it is to watch from a distance as everyone gets excited while the front office is content to wait until June to bring up young talent or avoid any move that could help the team to save a dime.