Who is the Worst Team in the NL Central
As weird as this past year has been, we are just around the corner from normalcy. The gears of Spring training are beginning to turn and a 162 game season will soon offer a chorus for our summer days. America could go for a good “sit back” – watching some baseball again. While it is fun to think about who is going to “win it all,” and the dark horse teams that are going to surprise everyone, I have taken a bit of a different route in considering the worst teams in each of the six divisions. Here is the fourth installment of that series, focusing on the poor Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Pirates are easily the worst team in the division, and quite possibly the worst team in baseball. Quick – Name three Pirates. If you aren’t an avid baseball fan, who parks themselves in front of a TV most nights to watch games and highlights, you will find yourself wondering “who the heck are these guys” upon looking at the 2021 Pirates roster. Even some of us who park in front of the TV are struggling to remember the Pirates.
The NL Central as a whole is pretty much a four team race. The Cubs, having lost Ace Yu Darvish to San Diego, will play just good enough to be in contention for a playoff birth at the end of the year. The Reds, without their 2020 Ace Trevor Bauer, will digress immensely, but will still outperform Pittsburgh in the end. Finally the Brewers and Cardinals, who both have superstars in Christian Yelich (Brewers) and Nolan Arenado (Cardinals), will both be competitive and are my choices to represent the Central in the postseason. Here are my official predictions for the NL Central in 2021:
- St. Louis Cardinals
- Milwaukee Brewers (Wild Card)
- Chicago Cubs
- Cincinnati Reds
- Pittsburgh Pirates
2020 Rewind
The Pirates rounded out their 2020 60-game regular season with a 19-41 record, earning themselves last place in the NL Central and the worst record in all of baseball. They got to that spot by stinking in pretty much every way. The best performing hitter on the team, aside from rookie Ke’Bryan Hayes, who had a mere 85 at-bats, was catcher Jacob Stallings with a .248 batting average. Aside from Stallings, designated hitter Colin Moran hit .247, but also managed to hit 10 balls into the seats, so I will give him a pass as well.
Their pitching was decent, led by Steven Brault (3.38 ERA), now-traded Joe Musgrove (3.86 ERA), 24-year old prospect Mitch Keller (2.91 ERA in 21.2 innings pitched), and a bullpen that isn’t that good, but had its moments.
The Pirates had hopes of being relevant in 2020, but were really let down at the plate. They didn’t have an everyday guy who was in their lineup all season hit above .247. That is not good. One of my favorite players leading into last season was Josh Bell, who really disappointed after a great 2019 in which he was an all-star. He finds himself traded to Washington for prospects. Second baseman Adam Frazier also didn’t live up to what the Pirates hoped of him. Ditto forshortstop Kevin Newman, outfielder Bryan Reynolds, outfielder Gregory Polanco who turned in a down year, and it continues on down the line.
If there is a positive from 2020, the Pirates were able to call up players such as Ke’Bryan Hayes, Anthony Alford, and Cole Tucker. Those prospects gained some game experience at the major league level and fans got to see a glimpse of what the future in Pittsburgh might be.
Looking Ahead at 2021 and Beyond
This team will be big-time sellers in 2021, probably trading away anything or anyone that can garner back some young talent/prospects in return. Having made no notable moves, other than signing 31-year old Tyler Anderson from San Francisco, the Pirates have shown their hand in effectively playing for the #1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. All things considered, I see the Pirates winning around 55 to 65 games this season. Look for third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to continue his breakout and cement himself on this roster for years to come, and he could even win the rookie of the year. I also anticipate better seasons from guys like Adam Frazier, Kevin Newman, and Bryan Reynolds at the plate. The rotation/bullpen will constantly be changing guys around, but look for improvements from Mitch Keller and any other young arms they throw in there.
Here is the Pirates projected 2021 opening day roster, pending any moves in spring training, according to FanGraphs:
Catcher: Jacob Stallings, Michael Perez
First Base: Colin Moran
Second Base: Adam Frazier
Shortstop: Kevin Newman, Erik Gonzalez
Third Base: Ke’Bryan Hayes, Phillip Evans
Outfield: Bryan Reynolds, Anthony Alford, Gregory Polanco, Cole Tucker, Brian Goodwin
Pitchers: Steven Brault,Chad Kuhl, Tyler Anderson, Mitch Keller, JT Brubaker, Richard Rodriguez, Chris Stratton, Michael Feliz, Kyle Crick, Chasen Shreve, David Bednar, Carson Fulmer, Luis Oviedo
Looking at the Pirates’ farm system, they are right in the middle of the pack ranked #16 overall by MLB Pipeline’s Farm System Rankings. They also have 4 players ranked in the top 100 prospects in all of baseball: the aforementioned Ke’Bryan Hayes (#9), 2020 first round pick second baseman Nick Gonzales (#43), 2019 first round pitcher Quinn Priester (#52), and 6’7 shortstop Oneil Cruz (#64). With these guys already gathering attention, along with the continual development of other future Pirates and others that will be traded for, there is hope for the Bucs in the near future!
So, it is going to be a long season in Pittsburgh. As I have said throughout the article, this team just isn’t good. But, that is okay! Put your expectations on rock bottom and have patience Pirates fans. Their young talent will continue to develop, both on the major league and minor league levels, and enjoy watching your future stars, especially Hayes, develop right in front of your eyes. The Pirates front office have given themselves a clean slate with endless opportunities, and that should excite everyone involved with this team. It is going to be exciting to watch.
