Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 60-56
Remaining Opponent Winning Percentage: .497
The Pirates have been clustering some wins together taking seven of their last ten. With their win over the Giants last night, the Pirates are now over .500 post All-Star break at 14-13. After a bizarre trade deadline, the dust is settling and things are falling into place. The starting rotation looks as good as it has all year and the bullpen hasn’t skipped a beat since the departure of Mark Melancon.
Why They’ll Make the Playoffs:
If the Pirates pitching staff continues to perform at this level, the Pirates will make the playoffs. The starting rotation has been piling up quality starts and the bullpen has been dominant as of late. Since his benching in Atlanta, Andrew McCutchen has looked much better at the plate drawing 11 walks. If he finds his former self, look out.
Why They’ll Miss the Playoffs
The Pirates will miss the playoffs if their starting pitching starts to struggle. Remember that Jameson Taillon and Chad Kuhl are still rookies and Ryan Vogelsong is 39 years old. Gerrit Cole has struggled lately and will need to improve. Ivan Nova has been good but it is still too early to determine if he’s the next J.A. Happ. There are still no guarantees with this rotation. Also don’t forget that the Pirates have seven games remaining at Miller Park. Yikes.
Prediction:
The Pittsburgh Pirates will snag the final Wild Card spot. At this point in time, it seems as though they are on the rise and the other three teams continue to tread water. The biggest reason for this has been the Pirates’ luck in keeping players healthy. The club does a great job of keeping players fresh over the course of a season and that is paying dividends.
If they continue to play the way they are currently playing, Buctober will be coming back to Pittsburgh this fall.
Featured Photo Credit – Daniel Decker Photography
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