Man, Nathaniel Lowe would have looked really good in this lineup. What could have been. I think him and Winker would have improved the lineup so much. Now we have to hope horwitz is the real deal and hope they actually get a corner outifielder.
2-4 is a bit challenging as each team has holes, like I doubt the Pirates go into the season with Palacios/Suwinski as starters, the Reds aren’t rolling with Will Benson, etc.
The brewers have the strongest remaining top potential with Contreras, yelich, and Chou too but the rest could really struggle. The rest are pure potential plus Elly but if anything I think our floor is higher than theirs even if not close to their ceiling
I don't care about the other teams much. I'll let that discussion go to more knowledgable members of the BOD-Faithful.
To me, concerning my beloved Buccos, I think we oughtta call 'em the "Pittsburgh Bounce Backs" this year. I was looking at 2024 WAR for each of these players on Baseball Reference and I need some explanations here.
IKF they had at 3.6 last year... apparently none of that was with the Bucs.
BRey 3.6
Cruz 2.5
Cutch .8
Bart 2.2
Horwitz 1.2
NickG .9
Key .8
Palacios N/A
The guys with better than league average OPS+ were: Cruz (113) BRey (119) Horw (125) Bart (120) and Cutch (105)...
Going down the list, I think Cruz and Cutch and Bart and Horwitz and Nick G. and CERTAINLY Ke'Bryan (just with a healthy year) can do better than those numbers. I fail to see how either Cook or York can't do as well as Palacios and my hunch is they're not going out and getting a qualified MLB outfielder to help with the offense.
If you add the 14.4 WAR of the bulk of last year's starters and give Skenes, Jones and Bubba most of a year's starts and add that to a starting lineup of 15.7 WAR which should be on the LOW side, given I think a lot of those years last year could improve... are we looking at 30 wins above replacement? Just how many wins does a team of fungible replacement level players amount to, anyway?
Someone tell me what this means. Haven't even thought about the bullpen and with Bednar tipping his pitches, well, he can do better than - 0.9....
But... thinking in terms of these numbers... I have a sneaking hunch the Bucs could be good this year if their defense supports the pitching?
Ignoring relief WAR the backend lost 19 games. Bednar Chapman Holderman how many of those could you realistically flip just with positive regression and luck 7? 10?
It is shocking, but this team could have easily been above .500 if it wasn't for bednar, Chapman and the rest losing so many games. This offense still sucks so bad.
You know, Cb... I was doing a countdown to .500 and they imploded after the deadline. I seem to recall going into the year, we thought our bullpen would be our strength. Just goes to show a rabbit.
It seems unlikely for the Pirates to be both as bad offensively and as bad in the pen as they were last year all at once.
The biggest gap is between 3 and 4–I’d buy any order for the top 3 and probably overrated Yelich’s ability to stay healthy and be productive so Cubs or Reds might be a better #1.
Honestly I see this as cubs at 1 then a whole clusterfuck of the rest with any order of 2-5 being possible. Likely us and the cards in the bottom 2, but the whole division is stocked with young, unproven guys that could go either way
Sadly, however, a SS upgrade and RF upgrade could maybe get them to 3. They will have to rely on pitching and Davis, Suwinski, peguero, Rodriguez, cook or Yorke showing they can fill a whole with their bats.
Man, Nathaniel Lowe would have looked really good in this lineup. What could have been. I think him and Winker would have improved the lineup so much. Now we have to hope horwitz is the real deal and hope they actually get a corner outifielder.
Death, taxes, and Pirate fans weirdly obsessed with the Reds.
You think that’s something leftover from the 70’s? No idea as I’ve only been a fan for 15 years or so.
Cubs
Reds
Brewers
Pirates
Cardinals
2-4 is a bit challenging as each team has holes, like I doubt the Pirates go into the season with Palacios/Suwinski as starters, the Reds aren’t rolling with Will Benson, etc.
Cubs and everyone else. Not understanding the love for the brewers and reds lineups.
The brewers have the strongest remaining top potential with Contreras, yelich, and Chou too but the rest could really struggle. The rest are pure potential plus Elly but if anything I think our floor is higher than theirs even if not close to their ceiling
Mil has a way of always turning out much better than they look.
Yeah, well, Jeffrey Dahmer was also from Milwaukee, Wilbur. People forget that.
The Pirates lineup stinks...
The Division stinks
The Cubs will win the division (maybe easily)
The Dodgers, Mets, and Phillies are much better than the Cubs and the Padres and Braves might be a little better.
Brewers
Cubs
Pirates
Cards
Reds
Hot take the Reds will be by far the worst team in the NLC.
They’re the biggest wild card in the division to me. More than any other team, I could see them winning 90 or 70 and not be surprised at either total.
“by far” makes it hot but otherwise perfectly reasonable
everything hangs on matt hague in 2025
Return of the Hit Collector....
Pirates' lineup will be "Return of the Sons of the Hit Collector."
I don't care about the other teams much. I'll let that discussion go to more knowledgable members of the BOD-Faithful.
To me, concerning my beloved Buccos, I think we oughtta call 'em the "Pittsburgh Bounce Backs" this year. I was looking at 2024 WAR for each of these players on Baseball Reference and I need some explanations here.
IKF they had at 3.6 last year... apparently none of that was with the Bucs.
BRey 3.6
Cruz 2.5
Cutch .8
Bart 2.2
Horwitz 1.2
NickG .9
Key .8
Palacios N/A
The guys with better than league average OPS+ were: Cruz (113) BRey (119) Horw (125) Bart (120) and Cutch (105)...
Going down the list, I think Cruz and Cutch and Bart and Horwitz and Nick G. and CERTAINLY Ke'Bryan (just with a healthy year) can do better than those numbers. I fail to see how either Cook or York can't do as well as Palacios and my hunch is they're not going out and getting a qualified MLB outfielder to help with the offense.
If you add the 14.4 WAR of the bulk of last year's starters and give Skenes, Jones and Bubba most of a year's starts and add that to a starting lineup of 15.7 WAR which should be on the LOW side, given I think a lot of those years last year could improve... are we looking at 30 wins above replacement? Just how many wins does a team of fungible replacement level players amount to, anyway?
Someone tell me what this means. Haven't even thought about the bullpen and with Bednar tipping his pitches, well, he can do better than - 0.9....
But... thinking in terms of these numbers... I have a sneaking hunch the Bucs could be good this year if their defense supports the pitching?
Am I right?
Anyone?
Buhler?
_____________________________
"Widdow Hen! I need your love to keep me warm!"
-Wabbit
Ignoring relief WAR the backend lost 19 games. Bednar Chapman Holderman how many of those could you realistically flip just with positive regression and luck 7? 10?
It is shocking, but this team could have easily been above .500 if it wasn't for bednar, Chapman and the rest losing so many games. This offense still sucks so bad.
You know, Cb... I was doing a countdown to .500 and they imploded after the deadline. I seem to recall going into the year, we thought our bullpen would be our strength. Just goes to show a rabbit.
It seems unlikely for the Pirates to be both as bad offensively and as bad in the pen as they were last year all at once.
Right?
Right?
I think the pen bounces back. The offense is a lock to be near the bottom in baseball as it stands now.
How do you think these lineups rank 1-5?
Brewers
Cubs
Pirates
Reds
Cardinals
Pirates
Cubs
Brewers
Reds
Cardinals
CY Young: Paul Skenes
MVP: Oneil Cruz
ROY: Bubba Chandler
Comeback Player of the Year: David Bednar
Coach of the year: Matt Hague
Manager of the Year: Jason Kendall (May and beyond after a 2-20 April record)
I was about to post the exact same thing. But I thought 3-19 after April.
Pierogi if the year?
jalopena hanna
Cubs
Brewers
Reds
Pirates/Cardinals
Brewers
Cubs
Reds
Pirates
Cardinals
The biggest gap is between 3 and 4–I’d buy any order for the top 3 and probably overrated Yelich’s ability to stay healthy and be productive so Cubs or Reds might be a better #1.
Cubs
Brewers
Reds
Pirates
Cards
Honestly I see this as cubs at 1 then a whole clusterfuck of the rest with any order of 2-5 being possible. Likely us and the cards in the bottom 2, but the whole division is stocked with young, unproven guys that could go either way
1. Cubs
2. Reds
3. Brewers
4. Cardinals
5. Pirates
Sadly, however, a SS upgrade and RF upgrade could maybe get them to 3. They will have to rely on pitching and Davis, Suwinski, peguero, Rodriguez, cook or Yorke showing they can fill a whole with their bats.