No Postseason Allowing Young Bucs to Shine

The Pittsburgh Pirates three year playoff streak has come to an end here in 2016 as they are mathematically out of the race. However, Young Bucs have gotten a chance to show what they can do and give a glimpse of what the future holds for the Pirates organization.

The Pittsburgh Pirates could not harness their success of the last three seasons in 2016 and as a result there will be no Buctober coming to Pittsburgh this year. For many fans, this means that the season is a complete bust. While the Pirates have definitely not met their expectations from the beginning of the season, there is still room to celebrate as the season winds down. Many of the young Pittsburgh Pirates stars have come up  and performed rather well at the major league level.

During the 2016 season we have seen the debut of many young players including Jameson Taillon, Tyler Glasnow, Adam Frazier, and Josh Bell among many others. Many of these young players have not only been playing at the major league level, but doing so at a very high level. These young guns have provided some big moments this season and will look to do that in the many seasons to come of Pittsburgh Pirates baseball.

The 2016 Pirates rotation was one full of injury and un-reached potential. Gerrit Cole was on and off the disabled list all season long and guys like Francisco Liriano and Jeff Locke failed to pitch up to their potential. And, as the saying goes, You live and you die by your pitching and the Pirates certainly went down with their struggling rotation this season.

There is room for some optimism as we look ahead to the 2017 season, however. Both of Pittsburgh's top pitching prospects, Taillon and Glasnow, made their debuts this season and have shown bright spots. Taillon has come up with great poise this season and has pitched to a 4-5 record with a 3.38 ERA while striking out 85 and walking 17 in 104 innings of work. He has shown poise on the mound and has a work-man like mentality that is going to serve the Pirates well in the future.

Glasnow, while having some struggles early on, was moved to the bullpen and showed some key adjustments there that helped him in his last start of the season yesterday against the St. Louis Cardinals. He finished his season with a record of 0-2 and a 4.24 ERA while striking out 24 and walking 13 in 23.1 innings of work. He had a strong start to finish his season yesterday going 5.0 innings giving up one run on one hit while striking out four and walking four.

Other pitching prospects that showed what they have in 2016 included Chad Kuhl and Steven Brault. If you mentioned these two names a year ago, not many people would know who you were talking about. However, Kuhl delivered one of the most electrifying pitching debuts during a Sunday night game where he defeated Clayton Kershaw and lead the Pirates to victory. Brault was used more in a spot starter role with some bullpen appearances and provided quality innings for the Pirates. Kuhl would finish 5-4 with a 4.20 ERA while Brault went 0-3 with a 4.86.

Having these four young pitchers grow one year older over the off-season is going to create some major competition for next year's rotation. If the Pirates were to stay completely put this off-season, their pitching competition next year would have Cole, Taillon, Glasnow, Brault, Locke, Drew Hutchinson, and Wade LeBlanc. There are also rumors going around that the Pirates are trying to bring back Ivan Nova for next year. You can never have too much pitching, and I feel the Pirates are in a good place in that department going into this off-season.

The young pitchers weren't the only ones to shine this season, as we saw some of the top position player prospects debut for the Pirates as well. Guys like Josh Bell, Adam Frazier and Alan Hanson got shots at the major league level. Some were looked upon to play key roles in the Pirates future and they showed that they could do just that for years to come.

Pirates highest ranked first base prospect Josh Bell got the call to the major leagues on July 8th against the Chicago Cubs and did not waist much time making his presence felt. On July 9th he would hit a pinch hit grand slam that helped lift the Pirates over the cubs by the score of 12-6. Bell's first major league home run came through in a big way and showed he was here and ready. Bell would end up hitting .273 with three home runs and 19 RBI in 2016.

A pair of middle infielders also made their debuts in 2016 and helped to sure up some defensive problems up the middle. Adam Frazier got more of the playing time and performed well  hitting .298 with two home runs 11 RBI. Frazier came up in the middle of June and has provided clutch hitting and good defense from the middle infield position. Alan Hanson also made hit MLB debut in September and in limited action has hit .259 with no home runs and one RBI.

Hanson has been the expected shortstop of the future for this team, but has been stopped by offensive short comings the last couple of seasons. Fraizer was another one of those surprise prospects who came up and produced very well for the Pirates. The young core for Pittsburgh is here and they are ready to take the league by storm.

The Pirates are a small market team meaning they can't spend the money that the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox do, but they have the ability to build from within and get better that way. It may be frustrating sometimes as a fan, however, the patience will pay off when the Pirates make that next leap and go deep into the MLB playoffs.

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.

Two Years in the Making Taillon Finally Showing What He Can Do

Pirates starting pitcher Jameson Taillon has been hindered by injuries the past two seasons setting his major league debut back two years. However, he is here now and showing just the spark he can add to the Pirates starting rotation this season.

The Pittsburgh Pirates got both good news and bad news prior to yesterday's game against the Mets. Of course, we will start with the bad news as the Pirates announced prior to the game yesterday that they had to place starting pitcher Gerrit Cole on the 15-day disabled list with a right tricep muscle strain.

Cole had been the ace of a struggling Pittsburgh Pirates starting staff with a record of 5-4 with a 2.77 ERA striking out 100 and walking 28 in just over 117 innings pitched. Cole left the Pirates 9-3 loss to the Cardinals on Friday night. While Cole is not off to the hot start he had a year ago, he has still been a vital part to the Pirates success this season and in the past.

However, with the loss of Cole, a new era begins as the entrance of Jameson Taillon into the Pirates rotation begins. Taillon made his major league debut last week against the New York Mets as he went 6.0 innings allowing just three runs on six hits while walking three and striking out two. Taillon would get a no decision in that contest as the Pirates would fall to the Mets by the score of 6-5 with Cory Leubke picking up the loss.

In his major league debut, Pirates fans thought they saw just what the future held for their rotation as it contained both Taillon and Cole in what could be a great 1-2 punch for years to come. However, surprisingly Taillon was sent down to the minors after his first start and it lead fans to believe that they would not see Taillon again until the middle of the season.

Fate would end up working in the 24-year olds favor though as Cole goes to the disabled list and Taillon gets the call to face the Mets last night, a team he made his MLB debut against last week. Taillon took advantage of this new found opportunity and pitched the game of his life picking up his first major league victory and shutting out the Mets over eight strong innings of work.

He would have a no-hitter through six innings of work and only had allowed two base runners on a walk and a hit by pitch. Then, in the top of inning number seven, Curtis Granderson lead things off with a single. Both Jordy Mercer and Josh Harrison made a diving attempt for the ball, but neither could corral the slow roller as it rolled into right field. Taillon would not have to worry about the base runner for long, however, as he got Yoenis Cespedes to ground into a double play and Kelly Johnson to ground out to end the inning.

In total, Taillon would go 8.0 innings giving up no runs on two hits while striking out five and walking one on his way to picking up his first major league victory to move to 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in two major league starts. Taillon came close to a no-hitter one other time this year in triple A as he took one into the sixth inning before it was broken up by the opposing pitcher, but to do it at the major league level is another thing.

If you looked back two years ago none of this looked to be possible as Taillon had to have season ending Tommy John surgery, setting his development back. Taillon was pitching for double A Altoona and had just gotten a promotion to Triple A Indianapolis, but started losing hope. It would be a long hard off-season of rehab and trying to get back to playing level so he could advance in the Pirates minor league system. 

Taillon would come back for spring training 2015 ready to go and show what he could do. He ended up missing the entire 2014 season with Tommy John surgery and was ready to come back and prove he was ready to make the transition to the major leagues. However, he hit another speed bump as this time he was dealing with an inguinal hernia that would have him miss the entire 2015 season as well.

Taillon didnt give up and came into spring training this year healthier than ever and ready to perform. He started the season in Triple A Indianapolis and made the most of the missed time compiling a record of 4-2 with a 2.04. Those stats were enough to get him the call to the big leagues to start his major league career.

Now that he has made it to the show and has performed well, Pirates fans can start getting excited about the future of this Pirates team. And, there is more excitement to come as top prospect Tyler Glasnow still waits in the Pirates wings waiting to make his debut. If all three of these pitchers work out, the Pirates could have a rotation for the ages with Cole, Taillon, and Glasnow at the lead. 

The Pirates have not yet announced Taillon's next start, but if the calendar is right Taillon would next take the mound against the Chicago Cubs on June 19th. It will be a big test for Taillon to see if he can compete with the best team in major league baseball. For now, Taillon can enjoy his early success and be excited for what the future holds for both him and the rest of the Pittsburgh Pirates team.

Glasnow/Taillon Among Eight Sent Down to Minor League Camp

The Pittsburgh Pirates made their first round of spring training cuts earlier today. Among the eight players that were sent down were top pitching prospects Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon.

As we quickly approach the half way point to Pittsburgh Pirates spring training, we have approached the first round of big league camp roster cuts. And, as we look at the names of some of the players who got sent down, none of the players listed come as any surprise. The group includes a talented core that the Pittsburgh Pirates can look forward to in the near future.

Among the group were pitchers Tyler Glasnow, Jameson Taillon, Chad Kuhl, Steven Brault, Kelvin Marte and Trevor Williams, catcher Reese McGuire, and outfielder Harold Ramirez. Each player has a lot of upside and proved themselves to be a bright spot deep into the Pittsburgh Pirates future.

The most notable of the players sent down were Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon. Both players are fine pitchers who could see some big league time as early as this year. Both have things they need to work on and both have the opportunity to work their way to the big league staff. Glasnow and Taillon are both very competitive and I can see both of them making their debuts this season.

Glasnow finished spring training throwing 1.2 innings giving up two runs on two hits while walking three batters. While those numbers don't look great, it doesn't mean that the spring was a total loss. Glasnow got his feet wet in the big league camp and can build on those experiences in the minor leagues. Not included in those stats are his Black and Gold game start where he went 2.0 innings giving up one run while striking out two batters. The future is bright for Glasnow and with some maturity he will be a good major league starting pitcher one day.

Taillon finished his spring training throwing 4.0 innings giving up two runs on six hits while striking out three batters. The other starter in the Black and Gold game, Taillon also threw 2.0 innings giving up tow runs in that game. For Taillon, this season will be one where he looks to stay healthy for a full season. He will be competing in the Triple A rotation, and barring any injuries or poor performances, could see some time in the big leagues late in the year.

Both of these top pitchers proved that they have what it takes to face major league batters this spring. Each one also has their own little things that they need to work on, but with some work in Triple A, they will be ready for big league action before we know it.

As for the other pitchers sent down Chad Kuhl threw 3.0 innings this spring giving up one run on four hits and striking out two batters.Steven Brault added 3.0 innings of his own giving up 4 runs, 2 earned runs, on five hits while striking out one. Trevor Williams tossed 2.0 innings giving up no runs and striking out four, and Kelvin Marte rounds out the group as he threw 4.2 innings giving up four runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out two.

All of these pitchers are very talented guys that the Pirates can look forward to having in the future. Each has something very intriguing to offer in the Pirates future and each will be a big part of the Pirates success now and moving forward.

Another promising prospect sent down was catcher Reese McGuire. Looked upon by many as the catcher of the future, McGuire was participating in his first big league camp.

He got his feet wet in major league camp hitting .100 (1 for 10) in six games played. In yesterday's game, he caught seven innings behind the plate after the departure of Chris Stewart.

McGuire is a solid hard working prospect who is slated to be the everyday catcher at Double A Altoona. Drafted in the first round of the 2013 draft by the Pirates, McGuire is a guy they look to have man the plate in the future.

While his offense has been average early on in his professional career, his fielding has been above average. He caught 33 percent of base stealers last year and had a .984 fielding percentage. Defense is key for a catcher and if McGuire can pick up his offense a little bit, he could be an elite major league starting catcher.

The other prospect who was sent down was outfielder Harold Ramirez. Ramirez had a very successful spring training hitting .579 (11 for 19) with two double and an RBI.

Ramirez showed that he can handle the bat at the plate and he played defense really well in the field. Ramirez will join McGuire in Double A to start the season. Ramirez will first get some more playing time as he plays for team Columbia in the upcoming World Baseball Classic qualifiers.

All of these players are very talented minor league prospects. Each offers a skill set that will be beneficial to the Pirates in the years to come. Pitching depth has always been a strength for this Pirates team and there is no lack of that in this group of players. However, some of the offensive prospects are coming around as well. Only time will tell, but for now, it looks like there is a bright future ahead for your Pittsburgh Pirates.