Pittsburgh Pirates Wake Up Call: The Next Face of the Franchise

In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.

Ring the Bell

The moment the Pittsburgh Pirates traded Andrew McCutchen, they were trading more than just their center fielder. The team was trading away its biggest star and the face of the organization. The Pirates are far from the first team to trade their public face. Earlier this offseason the Tampa Bay Rays traded Evan Longoria to coincidentally enough, the San Francisco Giants. The Rays are obviously in the middle of their own transition so their next face has yet to reveal itself. The Pirates have a couple very obvious candidates.

Josh Bell seems like the next breakout offensive star for the Pirates. Bell is coming off a very good rookie campaign. He hit 26 home runs with 90 RBIs and slashed .255/.334/.466/.800. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting and seems poised to take the next step forward this coming season. From a baseball perspective, Bell makes a lot of sense. He’s a big, lumbering power-hitting first baseman, which is something the Pirates have lacked for seemingly two decades. Outside of baseball, Bell is a good-looking kid with a bright smile. He also seems very comfortable in front of the camera, so he has some serious star potential.

A Mentally Tough SOB

The next candidate comes from the other side of the ball as obviously, it’s Jameson Taillon. Taillon is coming off another season of up and downs. On the field, he had a fairly successful run as he went 8-7 with a 4.44ERA and a 3.48FIP. Taillon had a lot more good than bad but towards the end of the year hit a wall. The young man faced a lot of adversity, as he was diagnosed with cancer in the middle of the season. So despite the league-average numbers, it’s not crazy to expect a giant step forward for the 26-year-old right-hander.

Jameson Taillon has consistently faced obstacles and overcame them all. There is not a tougher kid in the entire Pirates organization and I don’t think that’s a controversial opinion. It’s that toughness that makes Taillon a very solid face of the franchise candidate. He has all the tools to become a legitimate ace of the rotation and has a never-say-die attitude. Not to mention, the fans seem absolutely crazy for him. That is a recipe for success in my book. If Taillon takes the next step and puts up the numbers he is capable of, you could be looking at the next face of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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