With Grapefruit League action starting on Tuesday, manager Clint Hurdle has named his starting pitchers and pitching rotation for the first two spring training games.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been hard at work in Bradenton, Florida for the last week getting ready for the first week of spring training action. All of the drills, batting practices, bullpen sessions, and workouts have led up to this first week of spring training. The Pirates go into it with a lot of promise and a lot of things to look for.
Manager Clint Hurdle has named the first two starting pitchers, and it looks to be the battle for the fifth spot of the rotation. Newly acquired Kyle Lobstein will start the first game at Joker Merchant Stadium on Tuesday when the Pirates face off against the Detroit Tigers. Lobstein, a former Tiger, will be looking to show what he has got on the mound.
Last season, Lobstein finished with a record of 3-8 with a 5.94 ERA while striking out 32 and walking 23. Lobstein has only thrown in 20 major league games and is looking to make the Pirates roster as either a long relief man, or the fifth starter spot. The young left hander was acquired over the off-season in a trade with the Detroit Tigers for cash.
One thing I will be looking for from Lobstein is his control. Last season his strikeout to walk ratio sat at 1.39. Lobstein is walking just about as many batters as he is striking out and that's not good for a starting pitcher. Lobstein will have to show that he can control the strike zone and put pitches where he wants to if he wants to make this Pirates team.
Working with pitching coach Ray Searage will surely help with his control issues. Last season, he only threw 61% of his pitches for strikes. As a starting pitcher, you want to throw some pitches out of the strike zone, but you also have to hit the strike zone at a good rate to get batters out. Lobstein is a pitcher who needs to pitch to contact to be successful. His ground ball to fly ball ratio was at 1.49 last year. If he can keep the ball on the ground and use the Pirates infield defense, he could be a success in Pittsburgh.
Following Lobstein, the Pirates will send out Wilfredo Boscan, Neftali Feliz, Curtis Patch, Rob Scahill, and Trey Haley. The Pirates will be showcasing a lot of their non-roster invitees in the first game. Neftali Feliz and Rob Scahill are both pretty set to make the Pirates 2016 bullpen, but Patch, Boscan, and Haley will be interesting to watch.
The thing I am most looking for in this game is how the defense plays out in the field and the performance of Neftali Feliz. Feliz could be a big part of the 2016 Pittsburgh bullpen. With his track record of success in the past, he could provide a reliable bridge to Mark Melancon and Tony Watson. If he can regain the control and consistency he had two years ago, the Pirates will have a star studded 2016 bullpen.
In the second game of the Grapefruit League season, The Pirates come home to McKechnie Field for their spring training home opener again against the Tigers. Starting this game will be left-handed pitcher Jeff Locke, who struggled mightily in 2015. Locke will be looking to prove that he can succeed at the major league level, and that he can be a consistent starter for the 2016 Pirates.
Last season, Locke had a 9-11 record with a 4.69 ERA walking 60 and striking out 129. His ERA was the worst of his career since becoming a full time starter during the 2013 season. When he initially came up he had success out of the gate going 10-7 and being named an all-star. However, after a second half decline that year, he has never found that success he had in the early part of the season.
Locke's main problem is his inconsistency on the mound. When he is on, it will be a good day for the Pirates. He is capable of throwing eight innings of one run ball and he controls the strike zone well. However, when he struggles, he struggles mightily. He has been known to also throw 4 innings giving up 7 or 8 runs. Locke really has to turn it up if he wants to be a main stay in the Pirates rotation.
Following Locke will be Juan Nicasio, Jared Hughes, Arquimedes Caminero, Eric O'Flaherty, and Jorge Rondon. In game two, we see many of the guys likely to make the team in 2016. Caminero, Hughes, and Nicasio will all be in the bullpen in 2016 as middle relief. O'Flaherty is fighting for a spot in the bullpen after a down year and Rondon will be looking to get some experience in big league camp.
I am really looking forward to seeing what Eric O'Flaherty will do on the mound in this game. With a track record of success with the Atlanta Braves, O'Flaherty could be a huge pick up for the Pirates. At one time he was one of the best set-up men in the game. He comes with a lot of intrigue and seeing him on Wednesday will be exciting to see what the future holds for Pittsburgh.
With Grapefruit League action ready to start, that means we are only one month away from Pittsburgh Pirates opening day. Their will be one more tune up for the Pirates before Tuesday when they compete in the annual Black and Gold game tomorrow where it will be Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow on the mound. With the season quickly approaching baseball is finally in the air and that means warm summer nights full of the smell of fresh cut grass, hot dogs cooking over the grill, and the sound of the crack of the bat. Baseball season is quickly upon us and for Pirates fans their will be one resounding cheer "Let's Go Bucs."
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