The Pittsburgh Pirates were named as Baseball America’s 2015 Organization of the Year on Monday. Their ability to put together a 98-win season through a strong core and good free agent signings and trades weighed heavily in their favor, as well as their strong minor league system.
The Pirates were praised by Baseball America for the way they found value in building their roster better than most franchises did in 2015, such as the signings of A.J. Burnett and Jung Ho Kang, and the trades for Francisco Cervelli and J.A. Happ. They also spoke highly of their ability to develop Gerrit Cole into an ace pitcher.
This is the first time the Pirates have been given this award, which has been presented annually since 1982. The Kansas City Royals won it in 2014.
