Pittsburgh Pirates 2011 Preview, Predictions & Odds

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They’ve identified a solid core of young position players, but to avoid a 19th consecutive losing season, the Pirates will need to develop some quality pitching.

Pittsburgh Pirates 2010 MLB Record: 57-105
Pittsburgh Pirates 2010 MLB Home Record: 40-41
Pittsburgh Pirates 2010 MLB Away Record: 17-64

Pittsburgh Pirates 2011 Betting

Pittsburgh Pirates Odds to Win the National League: +5000
Pittsburgh Pirates Odds to Win the World Series: +10000

Pittsburgh Pirates 2011 Preview & Prediction

The Pirates are perpetually rebuilding, and that is the case again this season. In fact, a sign of success in 2011 would be merely escaping laughingstock status. The Pirates seemingly hit bottom last season when they went 57-105 for their 18th consecutive losing season, adding to their major North American professional sports record. The 105 losses were the most for the Pirates since the 1952 team went 42-112. Considering it would take 16 more wins just to avoid a 90-loss season, contention is surely out of the question. However, the Pirates do feel they will begin to take steps forward with a young nucleus that includes second baseman Neil Walker, third baseman Pedro Alvarez, left fielder Jose Tabata and center fielder Andrew McCutchen. They also believe hard-throwing Joel Hanrahan and Evan Meek give them the foundation to build a potentially strong bullpen. Clint Hurdle will be the latest manager to try to get the Pirates turned around. The Texas hitting coach and former Colorado skipper slowly guided the Rockies from the NL West cellar to the franchise’s lone World Series appearance in 2007, and the Pirates are hoping he can repeat that success in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Pirates Manager: Clint Hurdle – First year (ninth overall) Record: 534-625

Boisterous and forceful, Hurdle is a 180-degree turn from ex-manager John Russell. His background as a hitting coach should help a young Pirates lineup.

Pittsburgh Pirates 2011 Projected Batting Order: CF Andrew McCutchen (R), LF Jose Tabata (R), 2B Neil Walker (S), 1B Lyle Overbay (L), 3B Pedro Alvarez (L), C Chris Snyder (R), RF Garrett Jones (L), SS Ronny Cedeno (R).

Pittsburgh Pirates 2011 Projected Rotation: LH Paul Maholm, RH Kevin Correia, RH James McDonald, RH Ross Ohlendorf, LH Scott Olsen.

Pittsburgh Pirates 2011 Projected Closer: RH Joel Hanrahan

2011 Pittsburgh Pirates Offense:

It’s been ayear and a half since Pittsburgh punched the Detonate button, and today the state of the Pirates is: still lousy, but with hope. The team has given youth achance, doubled down on player development, and the benefits are slowly sprouting. They start with OF Andrew McCutchen, the best table-setter in the division. Young OF Jose Tabata follows. He boasts little power but is faster than his fire-hydrant physique suggests. 2B Neil Walker shed a reputation as the hometown hope who fizzled in the minors. The Bucs wanted a right-handed complement at first base to Garrett Jones, who can’t hit lefties. They signed 1B Lyle Overbay instead, strangely, and moved Jones into aplatoon in right field with Matt Diaz. 3B Pedro Alvarez is the real deal, and could hit 30 homers in his first full year. C Chris Snyder starts at catcher, but we wouldn’t fault you for not noticing. SS Ronny Cedeno comes off his first season as a starter since 2006.

2011 Pittsburgh Pirates Rotation:

Paul Maholm has seen some bad, bad things during his tenure in Pittsburgh and lived to tell about it. Admittedly, one of those bad things was his own 2010 performance. The southpaw has never been lights out, but he’s more effective than that 5.10 ERA might indicate. Ross Ohlendorf remains quietly pretty effective. The big Texan is arguably the team’s best starter, and we like him as an NL-only sleeper. James McDonald was a decent return from the Dodgers for a few months of Octavio Dotel; he’s talented but still aquestion mark with apenchant for walks. Brad Lincoln may be better suited to a bullpen role, but his status as a high Bucs draft pick makes the team more likely to see if he can do better this time around. Recent free agent signings Scott Olsen and Kevin Correia will duke it out for the right to round out the rotation for the Central’s weakest team. Speaking of “duke,” Zach Duke was released this past winter. The Pirates don’t miss his numbers.

2011 Pittsburgh Pirates Bullpen:

Joel Hanrahan appears to have Clint Hurdle’s permission to enter those rare ninth innings when the Pirates hold the lead. No surprise, given that Hanrahan topped 100 strikeouts working exclusively as a reliever last season, and posted a nearly 4:1 strikeout to walk ratio. Other teams covet Hanrahan, though, and it may be smart for a team consciously in rebuilding mode to take what they can get in trade for 29-year old bullpen arms. Behind Hanrahan is the excellent Evan Meek, the best set-up man in the division. The Bucs wouldn’t miss abeat with him closing, and we expect he’ll have the role before the end of the summer.

2011 Pittsburgh Pirates Middle Infield:

Walker will look to build off a fine rookie season in which he was the Pirates’ biggest surprise. A first-round draft pick in 2004, he began the conversion to super utility player last year during spring training after spending the previous two seasons as the Triple-A third baseman and being passed on the depth chart by Alvarez. The Pirates gave Walker a chance to play second on Memorial Day to replace struggling Aki Iwamura, and he put a hammerlock on the job. Erratic Ronny Cedeno returns as the shortstop, but this is his make-or-break year. The Pirates love Cedeno’s raw ability as he has power and outstanding arm strength, but he undermines his talent with inconsistency. Pedro Ciriaco will be waiting at Triple-A if Cedeno falters.

2011 Pittsburgh Pirates Corners:

Alvarez struggled after being called up in June, but he came on strong in September and appears ready to be a major force in the middle of the lineup with his outstanding power potential. Alvarez fared particularly well at PNC Park, where the short right field porch fits his left-handed stroke. He is not a good defensive third baseman, though, lacking range and first-step quickness. First baseman Lyle Overbay was signed as a free agent, and the Pirates hope he will add a veteran presence to the heart of the batting order while hitting plenty of doubles into PNC Park’s spacious power alleys. He is also an above-average defensive first baseman with excellent hands and should upgrade a leaky infield.

2011 Pittsburgh Pirates Outfield:

McCutchen was knocked in some circles for not building on his fine rookie season of 2009 last year, but he still showed he is the centerpiece of the Pirates’ rebuilding program. He is a multi-talented player with a great aptitude for the game and is likely to grow into the leader of this young team. Tabata made his major league debut last June and had a fine rookie season. He has the ability to get on base, is a high-percentage basestealer and shows enough glimpses of power to make the Pirates believe that could become a big part of his game as he gains experience. Garrett Jones will be a platoon right fielder this season, playing against righthanders, despite leading the team in home runs in each of the last two seasons. His struggles against lefties last season prompted the Pirates to sign Matt Diaz as a free agent. Diaz has a track record of mashing southpaws.

2011 Pittsburgh Pirates Catching:

Chris Snyder took over for Ryan Doumit as the starter behind the plate after being acquired from Arizona at the trading deadline last season. Snyder came to the Pirates with the reputation of being a good defensive catcher with some power but showed neither in the final two months. Nevertheless, he will be the No. 1 catcher.

2011 Pittsburgh Pirates Bench:

The switch-hitting Doumit will be the backup catcher and figures to be deployed frequently as a pinch-hitter, especially from the left side. He can provide some power off the bench, as can either Jones or Diaz and John Bowker, a left-handed hitting outfielder/first baseman who figures to make the team because he is out of minor league options. Josh Rodriguez, selected from Cleveland with the first pick in the Rule 5 draft, could conceivably push Cedeno for the starting shortstop job but will likely serve as the utility infielder. Former Rockies stalwart Garrett Atkins will try to resurrect his career as a backup corner infielder.

Pittsburgh Pirates 2011 Season Predictions

In rebuilding mode since 1993, the Pirates are not yet ready to end their ignominious streak of losing seasons. But they have taken some significant strides in the last two years and have a nice core group of regulars. They don’t have the pitching to compete yet, but if a couple of young arms emerge, they’ll creep c1ose.r to the elusive .500 mark. – We predict that the Pittsburgh Pirates will finish 65-97 & 6th in the NL Central Division.

Pittsburgh Pirates 5-Year Win Trend

2006: 5th NL Central 67
2007: 6th NL Central 68
2008: 6th NL Central 67
2009: 6th NL Central 62
2010: 6th NL Central 67

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