It’s no secret that when the Pittsburgh Pirates traded Andrew McCutchen, they lost the face of their franchise.
While some fans plan boycotts, others still have reason to be pumped for 2018 and beyond. Three young Bucs have star written all over them but each carries a different persona.
This season, we should see one of them step up to be the next golden boy of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In terms of sheer talent, look no further than the 29-year old Marte.
In a full, healthy season Marte is a prime 20-20 candidate. However, his image amongst fans has been hindered for one big reason, an 80-game suspension to begin 2017 for taking performance enhancing drugs.
If not for the missed time last year, he was to be given the keys to centerfield as many fans had been wishing for. However, his absence meant Cutch was back patrolling center.
Now, Marte is back in center full-time and his presence in the lineup and defensively has never been more important. A 20-20 season or better out of Marte along with some flashy defensive plays should help on-the-fence fans forget the suspension.
After being selected number two overall in the 2010 draft, Taillon was a big reason to be excited about the future of the Pirates. He was on a nice track to the bigs, reaching Triple-A by 2013.
He then missed the next two seasons due to Tommy John Surgery and a hernia. He eventually made his major league debut in June of 2016 and finished the year 5-4 in 18 starts with a 3.38 ERA. Fans finally had Taillon and former number one overall pick Gerrit Cole together in the same rotation.
Partway through the 2017 season he got news no one deserves to hear, he had testicular cancer.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Miraculously, he was back on a major league mound in just five weeks and ended the season with an 8-7 record with a 4.44 ERA.[/perfectpullquote]Taillon is a feel good story with incredible on-field potential. He’s also getting the ball in the 2018 Home Opener and is ready to be the ace in the Pirates rotation. Sounds like a quality “Face of the Franchise” candidate.
Bell is the logical answer to become the next “face” of the Pirates. After receiving the largest signing bonus ever for a second-round pick in 2011, it took him a little longer to get to the big league club than most had anticipated.
After making his debut in 2016, he showed his worth in 2017, clubbing 26 home runs, 26 doubles, and driving in 90 runs.
Bell is young, works hard, always smiling, and gives fans a reason to jump out of their seats. Does that remind you of anyone?
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