In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
Yesterday, the Pittsburgh Pirates enjoyed a much-needed day off. No team in baseball needed an off-day as much as the Pirates did. Hopefully, the rest helps them get out of this massive funk they are mired in.
The Major League Baseball schedule is unforgiving when you are losing because you rarely get a chance to step away. Playing your way out of a losing streak is usually the best way out of it but sometimes, a well-timed off-day can bring an end to negative momentum.
Today the Pirates will begin a home series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers have struggled for a lot of this season as they currently find themselves with a 29-30 record. However, they have played better lately so this will be a tough series for the Buccos.
Joe Musgrove will get the start for the Pirates, which is good news for the team as Musgrove has been excellent in his first two starts coming off the DL. The Pirates haven’t won much lately and Musgrove is responsible for two of those victories. The 2017 World Series Champion has lived up to the hype so far as he has only allowed one earned run in 14 innings. Musgrove has allowed a fair amount of base-runners but he has limited the damage. Ideally, this isn’t the best recipe for success, so Musgrove has to limit the walks and hits, otherwise, he will definitely get bit by the regression bug.
The other big news of yesterday was, of course, the MLB Draft and the Pittsburgh Pirates selected the best name available. The Pirates’ first round selection was South Alabama outfielder, Travis Swaggerty. Obviously, this selection won’t mean much to the Pirates this season, however, since Swaggerty is a college player, he should be able to move up the ladder fairly quickly.
Best moment of my life!! Ready to put it on for the city of Pittsburgh! LET’S GO BUCCOS🖤💛
— Travis Swaggerty (@TSwaggerty_21) June 5, 2018
Swaggerty definitely seems like he has a good attitude to match his impressive skill set. Projections are not prophesy but Swaggerty has above-average speed and power, so he could potentially turn into a 20 home run, 20 stolen base player in the Big Leagues. A lot will happen between today and when Swaggerty makes his Big League debut. There will be ups and downs, good seasons, and bad. However, it’s important to understand that prospect development is a process and not an exact science. Swaggerty seems like he has a good head on his shoulders and is up for the challenge. I am already looking forward to seeing how the kid does in the Minors.
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