BRADENTON, Fla. -- It’s been a month of Spring Training workouts for the Pirates. In another 30 days, they’ll be preparing for their fifth series of the season. Time flies faster than an Oneil Cruz homer.
We’ve also learned a lot. Entering Tuesday’s games, the Pirates ranked in the top 10 in Major League Baseball in ERA (3.98, 7th) and runs scored (98, 8th). They’re solid numbers, though not exactly a hard-and-fast predictor of regular-season results.
In that vein, here’s a starting nine of Pirates impressions that may count for more at this point in their Grapefruit League season.
1. Paul Skenes is ready.
That was abundantly clear to anyone who watched Skenes dominate Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic on Monday, allowing one hit and one walk with seven strikeouts over four scoreless innings.
But it wasn’t a shock to his Pirates teammates, who were glued to the TV inside the visitors’ clubhouse at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Skenes’ leadership profile and impact on the Pirates continues to grow, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner setting an example everyone else can’t help but follow.
“He’s no doubt our leader,” Carmen Mlodzinski said. “You see a guy like that work ... he’s 23, but he acts like a veteran. He’s providing leadership just by what he does every single day.”
2. The culture around the Pirates is vastly different.
This offseason, general manager Ben Cherington sought to add some veteran leadership -- specifically position players who would help unite the group -- into the clubhouse.
So far, Ryan O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Marcell Ozuna have been pitch-perfect.
Ozuna has brought the Pirates’ Latin American continent closer together while building a needed, big-brother type of relationship with Cruz. O’Hearn has been an open book for younger teammates. Mangum comes by his “Mayor” nickname honestly. Lowe can be so chill you forget he’s there.
Marked improvement with the tough-to-quantify stuff.
3. It’s only Spring Training, absolutely. But the offense has indeed been better. The Pirates are actually tied for sixth with 22 home runs. Their team OPS (.803) ranks ninth. They’ve also been aggressive and smart on the bases.
Whether it’s a new version of Cruz (more on him shortly), a Bryan Reynolds bounce-back, the new guys or a full season of Spencer Horwitz, this group appears capable of making the necessary jump in the middle third of MLB.
4. Though the pitching staff isn’t finalized, the bullpen has a defined set of arms and should function as a strength.
Dennis Santana, Gregory Soto, Justin Lawrence and Isaac Mattson are the top leverage options. Mason Montgomery, Yohan Ramirez and Evan Sisk have pitched well enough to earn roles. The loss of Kyle Nicolas, via trade, can be addressed with depth.
While Santana and Soto have more established resumes, hence their involvement in the WBC, Mattson and Lawrence are probably under-appreciated weapons outside of Pittsburgh who could be poised for very big years.
Both have been basically unhittable this spring (6 1/3 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts).
5. Konnor Griffin is the real deal.
Whether he makes the Opening Day roster or not -- it’s certainly a popular question among Pirates fans, for good reason -- let’s try to step back and appreciate what we have here.
At minimum, he’s really close to the Majors. Griffin also possesses incredible power, top-end speed, a strong arm and an off-field makeup that may be better than all three physical traits.
“I’m just taking things day by day and showing up laser focused on how I can become a better player,” Griffin said after his two-run double Monday. He has an .894 OPS and eight RBIs -- tied for the team lead and a total exceeded by just eight players as of Tuesday morning.
“It’s pretty easy around these guys. We’re trying to win games, and it’s fun to go out there and compete.”
6. There’s more position player depth because of guys like Jhostynxon Garcia and Mangum -- first and second on the Pirates in hits, respectively -- as well as Nick Yorke and trade acquisition Tyler Callihan in the infield.
It’s unclear where or how everyone will play. Productive players will be sent to Triple-A. Good problem to have for the Pirates.
7. Ozuna has been one influence on Cruz, but it started with how the Pirates center fielder treated his offseason.
Upset with his .676 OPS, defensive issues and struggles against lefties, Cruz took only a few days off, sought out a left-handed batting practice pitcher and spent time around Vladimir Guerrero Jr. back home.
Cruz hit .538 before leaving for the WBC, where he hit a pair of impressive home runs over the weekend. Plenty about Cruz has been different, in a good way.
8. The hiring of pitching coach Bill Murphy earlier in the offseason may have caught fans by surprise, but the more you’re around him, the easier it becomes to understand the Pirates’ intent. He’s very bright and well-liked.
Murphy is simultaneously respectful of what a pitcher wants to do or has done ... while also pushing for changes he believes are necessary. It’s easy to see why Houston had plenty of success with him as one of its top pitching voices.
“His demeanor, it’s kind of like mine,” Mitch Keller said. “It's very direct, to the point. There's no fluff. It's ‘What do we need to do to get better?' That really resonates with me.”
9. When it comes to non-traditional pitching usage, the idea sounds like more than smoke. In Pirates land, it goes something like this: Skenes and Keller are treated normally, but there’s some level of variation to the rest.
Maybe Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler have shortened starts, while Hunter Barco, Carmen Mlodzinski or Jose Urquidy function as piggybacks. The Pirates could still sign a veteran lefty.
Regardless, expect some creativity with spots three, four, five and even beyond when it comes to who starts games and how long they stick around.
“We’ve seen this spring that we’ve got guys with pitch qualities and ability to execute to get Major League hitters out,” Cherington said. “It’s just a matter of how we’re going to use them all.”