The New Bats Have Juice
One of the most shocking stats from last season is that the Pirates were not just last in MLB home runs. They were far behind. The team hit only 117 all year and finished 31 behind the second to last team.
Now, this lineup looks completely different. As of this writing, the Pirates lead all of MLB in home runs.
A big reason for that is the offseason additions. Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn were brought in to add power, and they have already combined for five home runs. At the same time, the returning core of Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds has matched that total with five of their own.
There is still more upside in the lineup. Marcell Ozuna and Spencer Horwitz have started slow, but both have a track record of hitting for power.
They are unlikely to lead the league in home runs all season. Still, it is clear that this is no longer the same power starved lineup from recent years.
The Rotation Is as Good as Advertised
After a rough Opening Day where Paul Skenes did not get out of the first inning and allowed five runs, the Pirates rotation has responded in a big way.
Over the five starts since then, the group has allowed just five earned runs total. That stretch includes a scoreless outing from Mitch Keller and a hitless performance from Bubba Chandler.
The level of competition makes it even more impressive. The Mets and Reds both have strong lineups, yet the rotation handled them with ease.
If the offense improves even slightly from last season, and it already looks like it has, this team should win a lot more games.
Henry Davis Has Earned Another Shot
The numbers are not there yet for Henry Davis. He is still hitting .143.
However, the at bats look much better. After making changes to his swing, Davis is putting together more competitive plate appearances and has hit several balls hard that went right to defenders. The process looks improved even if the results have not caught up yet.
His defense has been excellent. He has already thrown out two elite baserunners in Luis Robert and Elly De La Cruz trying to steal second. He has also made several strong throws and tags that have prevented runs.
At this point, his defense alone is enough to justify more playing time. If he can bring the bat up to even league average, he could quickly become one of the better catchers in the league.
