The future outlook is increasingly looking brighter for the Pirates, with much of that optimism surrounding their starting rotation.
Top pitching prospect Paul Skenes has burst onto the scene with a 2.45 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 22 innings across his first four starts. Joining Skenes is Jared Jones (MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 62 preseason prospect), who has compiled a 3.55 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings as a rookie. 28-year-old Mitch Keller, too, has settled into a solid mid-rotation option in Pittsburgh (3.42 ERA this season).
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington certainly shares similar optimism for Pittsburgh¡¯s rotation.
¡°When we go into each game, we feel like we have a chance to win. More often than not, our starters are giving us a chance to win,¡± Cherington said in an MLB Network Radio interview on Sirius XM. ¡°We have a really good foundation. You can¡¯t ever take that for granted in terms of the starting pitching.¡±
Skenes is the biggest attraction of the bunch and has the best chance to become one of baseball¡¯s top starters. Between the high-octane stuff -- including an average 99.4 mph fastball, a devastating sinker/splitter hybrid and a nasty slider -- and his strong command and big size, there¡¯s no doubt Skenes is an ace in the making. But even the hype around one of baseball¡¯s most anticipated prospects caught Cherington off guard.
¡°That [hype and attention] did catch me off guard a little bit. I think we anticipated that there would be interest and obviously excitement about his ability on the field,¡± Cherington said. ¡°But the level of interest and certainly the impact it¡¯s had at our ballpark when he pitches has probably even exceeded what my expectations have been.¡±
While the Pirates sit in fourth place in the NL Central with a 27-31 record, there¡¯s ample reason to believe this is a team on the rise. With a talented young rotation in place, the electric Oneil Cruz and solid everyday players in Brian Reynolds and Ke¡¯Bryan Hayes, the Pirates could make noise in the Senior Circuit in the coming years.
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