3 Players to Watch
- CF Andrew McCutchen
In many ways, we all know what to expect from the 2013 NL MVP. In six seasons, McCutchen has made four consecutive All-Star Games. He’s won three silver slugger awards and a gold glove. He has put together three seasons with a .400-plus on-base percentage and three straights seasons with a plus-.500 slugging percentage.
Those are not only All-Star and MVP-type numbers but the kind of numbers that Hall of Famers put up over the course of their career. Yet McCutchen is just hitting his prime and there’s a sense he can somehow get even better. If he does, watch out National League and NL Central specifically.
If he does that, too, it almost doesn’t matter if the Pirates’ seemingly witty offseason acquisitions do this season.
- 3B Pedro Alvarez
Though McCutchen is clearly the kind of player who can carry a team for the proverbial two weeks at a time pace, the Pirates would be greatly aided by their third baseman returning to his past performance. In 2014, Alvarez was sometimes benched by manager Clint Hurdle, as he struggled for much of the campaign.
He only played in 122 games and slugged just .405. Yet he was still third on the team with 18 home runs. Alvarez, however, is capable of better. He has 30 home run power, but needs to improve on 2014 .312 on-base percentage to justify his everyday presence in the Pirates’ lineup.
Some of that, too, would be gained by improved defensive play at third base. If the Pirates get the play from Alvarez they’d been accustomed to prior to 2014, they can become an even better offensive team.
- SP Gerrit Cole
24-year-old Gerritt Cole has been really solid in his first two seasons pitching in the majors. In 41 starts, he has thrown 255.1 innings with a 3.45 ERA and 3.09 FIP. He’s struck out 8.4 hitters per nine innings.
Yet there have been some concerns with his arm health-wise, which has forced the Pirates to be cautious with him. Cole, then, is a player to watch for two primary reasons: 1) Can he avoid a serious right arm injury? And if does, 2) Can he become the ace pitcher that he has been projected as since he was drafted first overall out of UCLA in 2011?
If so, there’s little reason to think the Pirates cannot improve their already sturdy pitching staff. And if that happens, they should actually be the favorites to win the NL Central in 2015.
Next: Keys to the Pirates' success in 2015