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Young Bucs bright spot of inconsistent 2016
- Updated: October 3, 2016
PITTSBURGH — The Pirates knew this would be a year of transition, a changing of the guard in many ways, as they replaced key parts of their 2013-15 core and introduced several players who will hold down major roles in their future.
But they still hoped it wouldn’t be a true “bridge” year, a gap in their recent run of trips to the postseason. That’s what it turned out to be, however, as the Pirates spun their wheels around the .500 mark through most of a disappointing year and missed the playoffs for the first time since their last losing season in 2012.
What happened? How did a 98-win team fall so far in ’16? It all starts with pitching, the lifeblood of the Bucs’ recent success. Their rotation struggled from top to bottom early on and was mostly comprised of rookies by the end of the season. Their bullpen faltered through most of the first half aside from All-Star closer Mark Melancon, who was traded in late July.
The Pirates stood little chance of catching the Cubs, who ran away with the National League Central. They looked like Wild Card contenders the first two months of the season, finishing May with a 29-22 record, but a 9-19 June put them in an insurmountable hole. A 3-13 stretch from late August to mid-September kept them from catching up to the crowded three-team pack atop the Wild Card standings.
Pittsburgh dealt with a number of injuries to key players. Many of the Bucs’ star players underperformed. The front office missed on a few key moves, namely the trade to acquire Jonathon Niese and the decision to put Juan Nicasio in the Opening Day rotation.
• Resurgent starters, stars key for Bucs in 2017
The brightest spot may have been the performance of several young players, from Jameson Taillon and Josh Bell to Adam Frazier and Chad Kuhl. That gives them reason to believe the bridge will only span one season.
“I think it’s one of the best takeaways we’re going to have this season going into next. The next-man-up mentality,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “The way they’ve been able to get involved. The way they’ve presented themselves. The focus. The preparation. And then the playing of the game. … Nothing like experience, and meaningful experience. We’ve gotten to experience a lot of different things as a club.
“There’s been some good ups. There’s been some hard downs. Late-inning games. Different roles. Different responsibilities. I do believe it has been a very good opportunity for us to enhance our growth and get these guys more not just in one lane but kind of an HOV lane moving into next year.”
Record: 78-83, third place, National League Central
Defining moment: Coming off their first-ever four-game sweep at Miller Park, the Pirates rolled into Wrigley Field on Aug. 29 a half-game …
