As the Pittsburgh Pirates go into the 2015 season, it is not as a team looking for an identity, anymore. It goes into this season as regulars that expect nothing less than their main goal of winning the final game of the season and hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy.
It may feel different to fans being called “regulars” after everything they have endured since that night in October way back in 1992, but it’s now the truth. And don’t think this is only with the Pirates’ fanbase, either.
This organization has earned the respect of people across the MLB landscape with the way they have rebuilt their farm system into one of the best in the game and that can be backed up by the MLB-leading seven prospects in MLB’s Top 100 Prospects of 2015.
They have earned the respect in the way they have played at the Major League over the past two seasons in taking the 2013 NL Champion St. Louis Cardinals to a decisive fifth game of the NLDS and a 2014 NL Wild Card appearance against the eventual World Champion San Francisco Giants.
Buster Olney of ESPN stated in an article that the Pirates “are viewed within the sport as a club with a culture of success.” He also states in the article that, “Other teams are trying to emulate what they do.”
The turnaround has come at a decently fast pace since new ownership took over in 2007 and changed the direction of the organization.
In that first year (2007), the organization had 3 players in the Baseball America Top 100 prospects list — Andrew McCutchen (13), Brad Lincoln (69) and Neil Walker (74) — and their AA and AAA teams weren’t close to contending.
Fast forward to now and the list of former names (since 2007) on that list include: Pedro Alvarez, Starling Marte, Gerrit Cole, Gregory Polanco and Jose Tabata to name a few while the minor league clubs have been more competitive and stocked with talent.
In short, these guys have been doing things the correct way and the organization is starting to succeed. It may not be in the way that some want — i.e. going out to get high-priced players to play for a couple of seasons with the hopes of winning it all — but it’s a way that can help this team be in a position to constantly compete for years to come instead of a smaller window — if at all — of a couple.
Another area the Pirates organization has succeeded in is free agency. No, they have not been able to go out and get the big-named stars, but their scouts and coaching staff have been able to bring free agents in and get every ounce of effort and success out of them possible — i.e. Russell Martin, Francisco Liriano, Vance Worley, Edinson Volquez and the first instance of A.J. Burnett.
For an organization like the Pirates, in order to succeed, you have to be smart in every aspect and so far they have.
Some may not see it yet, but this team is closer to reaching their goal than most think.
(Photo Credit: MLB)
