With Spring Training thankfully less than a month away for your Pittsburgh Pirates, what better time to open the doors to questions from our readership?
We recently put out a call for any burning questions you may have regarding the Pirates. As you can probably expect, the questions were many and varied.
We had so many in fact that we had to break it up into two parts. You can catch up on part one right here.
Now, here’s the best of the rest.
QUESTION: How long will it take all the fair-weather fans to realize we are still a contender for the division title and another playoff appearance?
ANSWER: I’m glad this question came up.
I’ll never tell anyone how to be a fan, but I have noticed that there is a great deal more vitriol in Pirates circles this off-season than in year’s past. Has the luster of three straight playoff appearances already gone stale? I recently wrote right here on PSN that the National League now appears more “top-heavy” than in previous years, no doubt as a result of the Cubs’ wild spending and the Diamondbacks riding a new television deal into some major signings.
Despite all of that, the Pirates are still a very good team. It’s easy to forget now, but most teams would love to have the problems that they have. The club still has solid starting pitching at the top, good talent with upside in the middle of the rotation, and a world class bullpen. At full strength, their daily lineup is a solid one.
In my view, the Pittsburgh Pirates are a team that is capable of winning 90+ games, but that may not guarantee a playoff spot in a strengthened senior circuit.
Q: If Alen Hanson does well in spring training does he have a chance to go north with team at the start of the season?
A: Chances are very good. Although all signs point to Jung Ho Kang being ready much earlier than initially thought, but any lingering effects of his off season surgery may force Clint Hurdle’s hand into easing Kang back into action. If that happens, the doors will be blown wide open for Hanson to make the 25-man roster out of Bradenton.
Hansen had a very solid year in Triple-A Indianapolis last year. He spent the entirety of the season there, and collected over 500 plate appearances. That number is important, as general manager Neal Huntington and staff have a loose rule in that they would highly prefer their hitting prospects to collect that many PAs before advancing to the majors.
Hanson will not be a home run threat, but he carried a 19.1 percent strikeout rate and carries a .701 OPS. He should be full time with the big club in 2017, but he has a great chance to accelerate that time table with a great spring.
Q: Who is the one pitching prospect everyone is overlooking?
A: A name known to many observers that is now getting more attention on a wider scale is Chad Kuhl.
Kuhl has steadily risen through the ranks, climbing at the rate of one level per year. At Double-A Altoona last year, Kuhl dominated with a 2.49 ERA across 26 starts. Known as a pitcher that must pitch to contact, Kuhl nonetheless found his way to striking out six batters per nine innings. He can be a bit wild with 41 walks in his 152.1 innings, but the fact that he does not have the velocity of some of his contemporaries may actually work to his advantage. Without having the mindset of getting to the majors and trying to blow people away, he can work on his craft. In continuing to pursue refinement, Kuhl may be sharpening his skills for a late-2016 cup of coffee.
Q: Will the Pirates bench be as strong in 2016 as at this point last year?
A: It’s hard to remember, but last year the bench was in the hands of names such as Andrew Lambo, Tony Sanchez and Corey Hart. With Kang starting the year coming off the bench, the reserves were a vast improvement over the previous year’s model.
Of course, a mere two weeks into the season saw Lambo and Sanchez’s banishment, Hart proving he did not have much left in the tank, and endless nights of hand wringing among Pirates fans. The point is, a major league bench can and will change dramatically during the course of a season.
When everyone is healthy, Sean Rodriguez will fulfill a utility role and may make 3-4 starts per week to regularly spell others such as Josh Harrison or Kang. One should not overlook the sneaky flexibility of Jason Rogers. Having played both corner infield positions as well as outfield, Rogers could be put into a rotation that is similar to Rodriguez, especially if he hits well in spring. Rogers’ experience is limited at every but first, however, so he may have to hit in spring to make the 25-man as a reserve.
That does it for this week’s installment of our pre-Spring Training Pirates mailbag. Stay tuned for the next installment! Have a question you want answered? Let us know in the comments, on our Facebook page, or please follow me on twitter and ask away.
