Chad Kuhl Facing Tough Competition to Start Career

In his first four starts Pirates starting pitcher Chad Kuhl has had to face some tough competition at the major league level. However, he has shown the ability to hold his own at the major league level against some of the toughest teams in the National League.

It was a quick rise to the majors for Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Chad Kuhl as he spent one year at each level of the Pirates minor league system. The 2013 9th round draft pick rose through the minor league system with an ERA consistently in the mid 2's and striking out 100 batters twice in his four years through the system.

Kuhl's hard work finally paid off as on June 26th 2016, Kuhl got the call to the majors to make his MLB debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Then Kuhl found out he would be facing one of the top pitchers in the National League in Clayton Kershaw. Then, to add to the pressure, he was pitching on ESPN Sunday night baseball.

Talk about a high pressure situation, but as they say big players step up in very big games and that is just what Kuhl did. He ended up going six innings giving up three runs on four hits while walking four and striking out five. He got into trouble in the first inning as he loaded the bases with two outs but was able to get out of it and settle in.

He would end up picking up the win in that game as the Pirates scored him four runs and Kuhl picked up his first major league win. Manager Clint Hurdle was quoted after the game as saying "That was a great team win." Kuhl had no time to relax however as his opponents would only get tougher as his starts continued.

In his next two starts he had to face off against Oakland Athletics ace Rich Hill and he faced Jon Lester in what has seemed to be an all-star Chicago Cubs rotation. He did very well against the Athletics giving up only two runs in seven innings of work, but he hit his first bump in the road against the Cubs going 1.2 innings giving up four runs.

Then we come to last night's start, once again Kuhl was faced in a tough situation having to go up against Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer. Once again he was up to the challenge throwing 86 pitches in six shut out innings of work while striking out five and not walking a batter in the outing. Unfortunately, Kuhl did not pick up the win as the Pirates would need 18 innings to defeat the Nationals by a score of 2-1.

Kuhl was a pitcher not on many people's radar before the season started because of stars like Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow making their MLB debut, however, he has come on to the scene and performed well in his first four major league starts. He has made himself a main stay in the Pirates rotation and looks to help them make a playoff run.

Kuhl has collected 13 strikeouts in his first 19.1 innings of major league work compared to five walks. Kuhl has very good control on the mound not walking a man in two of his four MLB starts. Kuhl has been able to keep his cool in some high pressure situations and it will pay off later in his career.

With the trade deadline approaching, the Pirates have been scouting some top starting pitching including Chris Archer from the Tampa Bay Rays, Nathan Eovaldi from the New York Yankees, and Rich Hill from the Oakland Athletics. If Kuhl can continue his early success he will be a key part to the Pittsburgh Pirates 2016 playoff run.

Amidst Struggle, Young Bucs Get Chance to Shine

The Pirates have been slumping as of late having a combined record of 5-9 throughout the last two weeks of play and have fallen 13 games behind the first place Chicago Cubs. However, admist all the struggles, young prospects like Jameson Taillon, Chad Kuhl, and Adam Frazier have made their debuts.

If you haven't heard by now, one look at the standings would show you that the Pirates have hit a rough patch of the season over the last two weeks. They have a combined record of 5-9 and have lost three out of their last four series including a sweep by the division leading Chicago Cubs that has put them 13 games back of the National League Central Division leading Cubs.

Some fans have resorted to hitting the panic button early in the season, but only time will tell the fate of the 2016 Pittsburgh Pirates team. However, throughout all of the struggle, we have also gotten a peak into what the future of the Pittsburgh Pirates holds. Injuries have caused the Pirates to have to take a dip into their farm system to call up some reinforcements.

With this, we have seen the MLB debuts of Jameson Taillon, Chad Kuhl, and Adam Frazier each showing what the different skill set they can provide at the major league level. While to some fans this shows a sign of weakness, I take it as a bode of confidence for the future of this team. The fact that the Pirates trust their prospects enough to come up and help a struggling team shows a lot of confidence in their farm system.

Each prospect that has come up from the minor league system has made their own mark and helped the team. Whether it be Taillon and Kuhl's impressive major league debut, or Stalling and Frazier coming off the bench for their Pirates, each has helped the Pirates in some way and have shown their worth for the future of this team.

Most recently, Chad Kuhl showed what he could do on a major league mound as he was tasked with facing off against Clayton Kershaw in his major league debut. He was up for the task getting the win and throwing 5.0 innings of work giving up three runs on four hits while striking out five and walking four batters. 

Kuhl was consistently in the upper 90's and , besides a rough first inning, pitched very effectively on a day when the Pirates needed a good start. Kuhl had a 6-2 record with a 2.28 ERA at the Triple A level. A ninth round draft pick of the Pirates in 2013, Kuhl was a guy not on many people's radar before the season started, but has shown that he can perform at both Triple A and the major league level.

Another star we have seen emerge is starting pitcher Jameson Taillon. Taillon's debut is two years in the making as he was dealing with multiple injuries that set his debut back two years including a Tommy John Surgery followed by a hernia surgery. However, he has fought through adversity and has compiled a 1-1 record through four major league starts with a 4.50 ERA in 22 innings pitched. He has struck out 15 while walking just five in those 22.0 innings. 

Taillon has yet to give up more than four earned runs in a ball game and has not walked more than two. His control has been on-point, however, he has fallen into trouble with the amount of hits he has given up. If he can limit the number of hits allowed, he could turn into a premier starting pitcher. Taillon has given up less than six hits only once in his first four starts.

With both Taillon and Kuhl in the rotation, three quarters of the future Pirates rotation are in the big leagues with Taillon, Kuhl, Cole, and Locke. Still awaiting his debut in the minors is Tyler Glasnow ho has been performing well at the Triple A level with a record of 7-2 and a 1.70 ERA. The pitching future has been looking very bright for the Pirates and, if all goes well, they could have one of the best rotations in the league in the very near future.

We have also seen the debuts of two of the Pirates position players in the minor leagues as both Adam Frazier and Jacob Stallings have made their debuts this season. These come after injuries to Francisco Cervelli and some banged up infielders. Both have done their job in their short time in the major leagues and have shown their skill sets.

Adam Frazier entered the game Sunday night after Jordy Mercer left the game after taking a knee to the head while sliding. Frazier proceeded to go 2 for 3 against Kershaw including a big RBI double that helped pull the Pirates in front of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Frazier in four games with the Pirates is hitting .500 with 0 home runs and 1 RBI.

Frazier is a super utility man being able to play both the infield and the outfield. He has appeared at short stop, third base, short stop, left field, center field, and right field throughout his minor league career. While not a super fielder, he can hold his own at each position. His lowest fielding percentage is at short stop where he holds a .942, but he has also played the most innings at that position.

Another thing going for Frazier is the speed he can bring on the base paths for the Pirates. He has 47 total career stolen bases in his career. Frazier picked up his first stolen base at the major league level in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Frazier can be an asset to the Pirates based on his speed and ability to play multiple positions.

With these three superstars on the rise, the future is starting to look bright for the Pirates. And still more prospects await in the minor league system. Josh Bell is still developing at first base, Tyler Glasnow is pitching well, and Austin Meadows has made the jump to Triple A. The saying good can come from a bad situation has applied to the Pirates over the last couple weeks as through their struggles, the stars of tomorrow have been given a chance to rise.