Midway through the 2024 season, the Pirates find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the race for a wild card spot out of the National League. A stellar starting rotation has helped the team stay within reach up to this point, but offensive inconsistencies have plagued the group all year.
So, what needs to happen during the second half of the season for the Pirates to ultimately earn a postseason berth this fall?
“I think some of it is certainly continuing to do what we're already doing well and lean into that, and do it even better," Ben Cherington said on his weekly radio show Sunday. "I do think whatever ways we can improve here the second half of the season, if we're in it at the end and pushing into the postseason, is mostly likely because we're a really good run-prevention team and we can win close, low-scoring games. That's probably how we're going to do it. As I've said before, some of the things we have going on on the pitching side give us a chance to be that team. We believe that. We have to go do it, and also to increase our odds of doing that, we've got to keep getting better in other ways. Understandably, there's focus and talk about offense and, of course, we're thinking about it, too, all the time internally. How do we get more of it? There are a few things going on there and, ultimately, as the person who gets to lead baseball operations, this is something I'm responsible for and I need to figure out how to find a way toward improvement over time."
Cherington, who has continuously preached the importance of internal improvement, said that's what second-half success will begin with because "we have more players that can improve -- by far --than the number we can acquire." He added that the opportunity to get better -- for every team, not just the Pirates -- is always going to come through the players already on the roster rather than those who might eventually be added to the mix.
While the Pirates are seeking improvement from more than a few players, including the likes of Jack Suwinski, Michael A. Taylor and Ke'Bryan Hayes to name a few, there are a share of young players experiencing their first full seasons in the big leagues. Cherington specifically mentioned Jared Triolo, Nick Gonzales and Henry Davis -- when healthy -- as examples of those getting the chance to encounter the highs and lows that come with a 162-game season. Gonzales has made some necessary adjustments and found more success at the plate this season, while Triolo and Davis -- again, when healthy -- have experienced lengthy and notable struggles when in the lineup.
“We are relying on young players, and we're always going to do that here in Pittsburgh. That's really important. We embrace that. It's exciting. It's a part of what we're gonna do as a team," Cherington said. "Inside that transition period as young players, we know it's not going to be a straight line. It's not going to be sort of a perfect linear from ‘All right, this is what he did as a minor-leaguer, this is going to happen right away as a major-leaguer.’ It's really never worked that way. It's particularly not working that way in today's game, with the pitching and the defenses the way they are. So, we've got to continue to support that group and work our tails off on development improvement and be accountable for that. But also, exercise patience. If we believe in those players, then we got to sell out to that belief and believe that the time that they're getting in the major leagues, the development, experience they're getting is going to pay off.”
Cherington said the second component, which is something he doesn't typically get the chance to see first-hand, will be the coaching aspects and strategies developed behind the scenes to help spark the improvement of players throughout the roster.
“I truly believe the current group of position players can be better in the second half of the season than they were in the first," Cherington said. “We need to sell out to that because, again, the numbers say that, if that group improves as a group, it's still going to make a bigger impact than any single external acquisition we can make.”
The third component involves building a stronger roster, something Cherington is ultimately responsible for, in order to potentially gain some separation from a crowded pack of National League teams fighting to remain in contention.
“That's definitely, especially on me, ultimately, to do that and find opportunities to make this team even stronger. Add to the position player group. Just add to the group, period, in ways that make us better, that give us a little better chance to win," Cherington said. "We're at a period where, as I've said before and don't mind saying again, it makes sense for us to consider turning certain players, maybe prospects, younger players into players that can help our major-league team improve in the short term.”
• In other topics, Cherington said David Bednar (strained left oblique muscle) and Hunter Stratton (right triceps strain) are both making progress in their recoveries, while the hope is that Ryan Borucki (left triceps inflammation) should be back "relatively soon" after recently beginning a rehab stint with Class AAA Indianapolis.
• Cherington on Jason Delay, who was optioned to Indy upon the activation of Joey Bart from the injured list: “JD, when he comes up and he's in a game, we feel like he finds a way to help us. And so, he's a really trusted player.”
• Cherington said the club is taking things day by day with Davis (concussion), who is rehabbing down at Class AA Altoona: “Again, it's a broken record, we feel like Henry's done the work to turn himself into a major-league catcher, and he's got the offensive track record to give us conviction that over time he’s going to be a productive hitter in the major leagues. Got himself into a little bit of a rut offensively this year as we've talked about, as everyone has seen. But given the work ethic, and the track record there, that feels just like a matter of time (that) he's gonna figure that out.”
• Cherington on the current major-league duo of Bart and Yasmani Grandal: “In the meantime, feel really good about Yaz and Joey Bart on the team. Joey's obviously done a really good job offensively and came right in and very quickly caught up to speed with our game-calling process and really has become a trusted guy behind the plate.”