The Pittsburgh Pirates have been playing much better as of late, winning six of their last 10 games. But there is still room for improvement, especially at the back end of the rotation.
With a strong performance in Indianapolis so far this season, is it time for the Pittsburgh Pirates to bring up Steven Brault?
Outside of Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon and Ivan Nova, Pittsburgh’s rotation has not been very good. The starters currently have a collective ERA of 4.56, good for eighth in the National League and just slightly above the NL’s average of 4.51. With the NL Central division being surprisingly open this season and the Pirates playing better baseball this month, they still find themselves contending in mid-June.
This article could end with a simple “yes”, but what fun would that be?
Brault has been terrific with Indianapolis this season. He’s 5-3 with a 2.18 ERA in 74.1 innings of work and he’s struck out 69 and walked 27. With a FIP of 3.44 and xFIP of 3.79, Brault is probably performing a little bit better than he should be, but even if his ERA regresses to something closer to those number, it would be welcomed consider Chad Kuhl’s ERA sits at a bloated 5.46. Kuhl seems to have the least firm of a grasp on a spot in the rotation.
Let’s just forget what Brault did last year in his 33.1 innings at the Major League level with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but instead compare his 2016 season with Indianapolis and what he has done thus far in 2017.
Last year he threw 71.1 innings while in AAA, so his 74.1 this year will make a good point of comparison. Last year’s ERA of 3.91 was a little higher than his FIP (3.59) and xFIP (3.67), so compared with this season’s numbers it appears Brault is in reality a pitcher that should have an ERA nestled somewhere in the mid to high threes.
Again, if this is true at the MLB level, it would be a big boost to the Pittsburgh pirates.
Better control
Brault is also walking less hitters with Indianapolis this year, 3.27 per nine innings compared to 4.42 last year. While his K/9 last season was 10.22 and this season it is 8.35, the 2017 number probably better represents the type of pitcher Brault will be if given an extended look with the parent club. He is also giving up way less home runs this year compared to previous seasons. His HR/9 sits at a fantastic .48 and while this number is most likely not sustainable in the big leagues, he should fall somewhere between that and the .76 that he compiled in Indianapolis last season.
Bringing Brault up and inserting him into the rotation would have another, added bonus: the lefty would break up an all right handed rotation. This might just be personal preference, but adding a southpaw to the rotation would at least make opposing managers consider sitting their left handed hitters against him. For instance, Joe Maddon may opt to not start Anthony Rizzo or Jason Heyward if Brault is on the mound since left handed hitters traditionally do not perform as well against pitcher of the same handedness. Although Maddon is a bit of a wild card, so using the Cubs in this scenario might not be the best choice.
The Pirates currently sit six games behind the division leading Milwaukee Brewers and while it might be a longshot for them to make the playoffs this season, it is by no means out of the question. The have played better baseball lately and have not really gone on an extended hot streak. The back end of the rotation has had many issues this season, from Tyler Glasnow‘s struggles to Kuhl’s up and down season.
At this point, Brault has earned a promotion and could potentially nail down a rotation spot if he performs well. The question is, will the Pittsburgh Pirates reward him with a promotion before they fall further back of the division lead?
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