Fantasy Baseball: Pittsburgh Pirates 2015 Fantasy Outlook

Mar 28, 2015; Bradenton, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder

(25) warms up before the start of the spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Here we are! Pitchers and catchers have reported, and Spring Training is in full swing (pun intended). Most of us will start having fantasy baseball drafts very soon, and we here at Fantasy CPR are no different. It is time to dust off the notes from last season, and check out which players could have an impact on your fantasy league.

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For each team, I will rundown the projected lineup, players to watch, and a complete list of 2014 stats to get you prepared for your upcoming fantasy drafts. We are finished with both of the East divisions. Now let’s move to the center of the country, the NL Central!

In case you missed any:
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Toronto Blue Jays
Tampa Bay Rays
Atlanta Braves
Miami Marlins
New York Mets
Washington Nationals
Philadelphia Phillies
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers

2015 Pittsburgh Pirates Projected Starting Lineup:

C: Francisco Cervelli (.301, 2HR, 13RBI, 1SB in 49 games with Yankees)
1B: Pedro Alvarez (.231, 18HR, 56RBI, 8SB)
2B: Neil Walker (.271, 23HR, 76RBI, 2SB)
SS: Jordy Mercer (.255, 12HR, 55RBI, 4SB)
3B: Josh Harrison (.315, 13HR, 52RBI, 18SB)
LF: Starling Marte (.291, 13HR, 56RBI, 30SB)
CF: Andrew McCutchen (.314, 25HR, 83RBI, 18SB)
RF: Gregory Polanco (.235, 7HR, 33RBI, 14SB in 89 games)

Cervelli has never handled the rigors of catching over a full season. He will get his chance this year. He played in 93 games in 2010 and still managed to hit .271, and he is a career .278 hitter. You can expect his average to be in that area. He doesn’t have much for power or speed which likely limits his usage to deeper leagues, but he is certainly worth a slot there if for no other reason than to help your average.

Alvarez was a liability defensively at third. He is a liability at the plate because of his discipline, or lack thereof. It improved a little last year, but his power took a huge hit because of it. He had back to back 30 homer seasons in 2012 and 2013, but hit just 18 last year. Injuries played some part in his regression, but it wasn’t the whole cause. The team is losing patience with his .230 average. With Andrew Lambo and veteran Corey Hart also getting time at first, there is a good chance that Alvarez will have a short leash, and could possibly wind up in a platoon with Hart. Alvarez has had a solid spring, but this situation is keeping me from investing too much in Alvarez. He is a later round pick in standard leagues. He should be owned in all deep leagues just in case he hits 30 homer again.

Neil Walker is a good pick at second base. If you find yourself in the middle rounds with a hole at second, don’t hesitate to take Walker. He could be trade bait for the Pirates though. The team needs to find a place to play Jung-Ho Kang every day to rationalize the money they have invested in him. They also have top prospect Alen Hanson, who has been solid this spring. Hanson has stolen at least 20 bases in every one of his minor league seasons, and has broke double digits in homers twice. Those of you in 10×10 formats should really be drooling. He has three straight years of double digit triples.

Hanson is close to earning a call, which means that Mercer will likely be phased out for either Kang or Hansen. It also means that Walker could be on the block. They moved Alvarez to first so they could move Harrison to third, and it wasn’t all because of walker.

Kang is worth a flier in deep leagues because the Pirates have to use him somewhere. He will get his at-bats. Hanson is a great source of late steals if he heads north with the team. The more likely scenario is that he toils away in the minors until the Pirates have an everyday spot open for him. This really only makes him an option in deeper leagues to owners with an extra bench slot. Mercer is worth a play in deep leagues if you are desperate.

Harrison broke out big last year. He is not your typical third baseman because he has more speed than power, but he can help you in both categories. Add that to the fact that he is still eligible at 2B in most leagues, and you have a guy that is a great fit for your standard league bench. If he is still around in the 11th or 12 round, I’m taking him. There is little reason to think that last year was a fluke. He might only hit .280 instead of .315, but the double digit homers and steals are here to stay.

Pittsburgh has arguably the best young outfield in the majors. McCutchen is always a top five pick. Where he goes after Trout is usually a crapshoot, but if you pick sixth, chances are you aren’t going to get him. He is exactly what the Twins hope Byron Buxton will turn in to. He hits for average, power, has good speed, a great arm, and could win a gold glove in center.

Marte might be the fastest guy on the team, which is saying a lot for a team that has both McCutchen and Jose Tabata around. There is a good chance that Marte never hits 20 home runs, but are you really going to complain about a .290 average and 40 steals? Along with double digit bombs? Marte is not an elite option, but he will do nicely as your third outfielder in standard leagues. He is a solid mid round pick.

Polanco is only scratching the surface of what he is capable of. The Pirates think he is almost as good as McCutchen. He has light tower power and good speed. He should hit much higher than the .239 average that he posted last year, and is a strong 20/20 candidate. He is consistently going higher than his ranking just because of his vast potential. Don’t fall into that trap in standard leagues. I wouldn’t take him any earlier than the tenth round.

Next: How Does The Rotation Look?

Mar 4, 2015; Bradenton, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher

(45) pitches during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

2015 Pittsburgh Pirates Projected Starting Rotation:

Francisco Liriano (7-10, 3.38 ERA, 175K)
Gerritt Cole (11-5, 3.65 ERA, 138K in 22 starts)
Charlie Morton (6-12, 3.72 ERA, 126K)
A.J. Burnett (8-18, 4.59 ERA, 190K with Phillies)
Vance Worley (8-4, 2.85 ERA, 79K in 17 starts)
Jeff Locke (7-6, 3.91 ERA, 89K)
Mark Melancon (3-5, 1.90 ERA, 71K, 33/37 saves)

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Liriano had some horrible luck last year. His standard numbers are very good, but he just didn’t get the wins. He is no longer a fantasy ace, but you can do worse than Liriano as your second or third pitcher. He is a solid pick in the 10th-12th round.

Cole’s great potential also has him flying off the boards higher than most have him projected.  He will likely be the true staff ace. He has bordered on dominant at every stage of his career. He probably won’t hit 200 strikeouts this year, but 175 is not out of the question. I am betting that he looks more like an ace than Liriano does. I have seen him go in the sixth round, which is early for me, but I would have a hard time not taking him if he is still around in the late eighth to early ninth round.

Morton has had a nice spring for Pittsburgh, but he is still not standard league material. He is a good rotation filler in leagues of 12 teams or larger, but he just doesn’t get enough strikeouts or have a low enough ERA to provide anything but streaming help in standard sized leagues.

The Pirates are hoping that Burnett can recapture some of the 2013 magic that he had with the team before head across the state for more money. At age 38, I wouldn’t hold my breath. His name will get him drafted late in most standard leagues, but I wouldn’t recommend it. He is nothing more than an innings-eater at this point of his career. He might strike out 200, but his ERA likely won’t be below 4. If you are desperate for K’s, stream him. He should be owned in all deep leagues though for his strikeout potential.

Worley and Locke are neck and neck for the fifth starter role. Locke has looked better this spring, but neither are great fantasy options. Worley is maybe worth a late shot in standard leagues, but he doesn’t have a great WHIP or strike out a lot of batters. He is better as a streaming option. Same for Locke.

There is virtually no chance of seeing Tyler Glasnow or Jameson Taillon in the majors this year. The Pirates want to take their time with their two prized prospects, especially with Taillon still rehabbing from Tommy John Surgery. Nick Kingham is a guy that could crack the rotation this year though. He doesn’t have the upside of Taillon or Glasnow, but he could still be solid at the back of the rotation. Keep an eye on him in deep leagues.

Melancon is everything you want in a closer. He posts good strikeout numbers, vultures some wins, and converts a high number of saves. He is a great option in the second tier of closers.

Stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for our team by team rundowns! Up next: the St. Louis Cardinals!