The Pittsburgh Pirates are not going to win the NL Central division in 2023.
In all likelihood, they won’t even smell the second Wild Card.
A .500 season is probably out of the question, since they don’t have the farm system and impact prospect to pull out something similar to the 2022 Baltimore Orioles.
However, they should be, in all likelihood, better than they were in 2022, when they won 62 games and lost 100.
They brought in veteran pitcher Rich Hill, and Mitch Keller finally developed into a viable MLB starter.
When it comes to position players, their lineup and defensive alignment are actually decent.
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Oneil Cruz has “breakout star” written all over him.
With some of the most impressive physical tools you will see, he is projected by FanGraphs to hit 26 home runs, steal 18 bases, and have a .471 slugging percentage.
Bryan Reynolds remains the team’s best hitter and, as of Friday, is still on the roster.
Rodolfo Castro and Ke’Bryan Hayes are young, developing hitters with plenty of upside, and Ji-Man Choi and Andrew McCutchen are productive veterans with a nice floor.
Jack Suwinski was a pleasant surprise last season, and while Austin Hedges is not much of a hitter, he can sure lead a young pitching staff.
These are the 2023 Pirates, and if catching prospect Henry Davis can reach the majors, they would have taken another firm step towards contention.
It’s important to develop their young arms, like Roansy Contreras, Miguel Yajure, Luis Ortiz, and Quinn Priester, but they seem to be on the right path.
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