2020 PITTSBURGH PIRATES PREVIEW
2019 STATISTICS
RECORD – 69 wins / 93 losses
OVERALL MONEY -$1240 (based on $100 wagered per game)
RETURN ON INVESTMENT -7.2%
HOME RECORD – 35 wins / 45 losses (-$1040)
ROAD RECORD – 34 wins / 47 losses (-$200)
RECORD AS FAVORITE – 19 wins / 21 losses (-$710)
RECORD AS UNDERDOG – 50 wins / 72 losses (-$530)
OVER/UNDER RECORD – 93 Overs / 62 Unders / 7 ties
2019 OFFENSIVE STATS
BATTING AVERAGE – .265 (6th in the Majors)
OPS (on base + slugging) – .741 (19th)
HOME RUNS – 163 (27th)
RUNS PER GAME – 4.68 (21st)
2019 PITCHING STATS
ERA – 5.18 (26th)
FIP (fielding independent pitching) – 4.78 (19th)
WHIP (walk + hits allowed per inning) – 1.45 (25th)
STRIKEOUT to WALK RATIO – 2.47 (21st)
RUNS ALLOWED PER GAME – 5.62 (27th)
ASA PITTSBURGH ANALYSIS – Pittsburgh finished dead last in the NL Central with just 69 wins, 7th least in the Major Leagues. Because of that, they basically cleaned house with the GM & Manager both getting fired. Hurdle, who had been Pittsburgh’s manager for 9 years with 3 winning seasons, will be replaced by Derek Shelton who was on Minnesota’s staff last season. Shelton has been a coach in MLB since 2005 but never as a manager. Despite their poor record, the Pirates were one of the better hitting teams in the National League. Of their 8 positions starters a year ago, 7 hit .277 or higher on the season. One of those players, CF Starling Marte (.295 BA last year) was the longest tenured Pirate until he was traded to Arizona in the off-season. The rest of their line up mainly stays in tact. While they hit for a solid average (.265 BA which was 6th in MLB) they really lacked any type of power. First baseman Josh Bell hat 37 homers and the now traded Marte had 23. Nobody else had more than 16. That will be a problem again this year as they didn’t add anyone of significance offensively. While the offense was OK, the pitching was not. Four of their six starting pitchers had an ERA of higher than 5.00. Chris Archer, who had a 3.69 ERA in 7 seasons with Tampa, was flat out bad in his first full year with Pittsburgh toting a 3-9 record with an ERA of 5.19. The bulk of their starters are back, which may not be a good thing, and on the back end their closer Felipe Lopez, 1.65 ERA and 28 saves, is facing multiple charges for his relationship with underaged female. If Pittsburgh doesn’t improve drastically on the mound, they will be fighting to stay out of last place once again.
