Are the Pittsburgh Pirates the Real Deal?

By Chris D.

Just a few days after ESPN reporters went on record saying that the Marlins were the best team in Major League Baseball this season, the Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to complete a series sweep (hey, why not? It's the third inning and the Pirates are already leading 1-0).

Seems to me that the pesky Pirates could be the real deal, couldn't they? The Pirates haven't seen the playoffs since 1992, and the most news out of Pittsburgh on the baseball side of things has been their absolutely beautiful ballpark they built in the middle of the city.

The Pirates are off to an 8-6 start, and they are leaving many experts wondering if they could be a team that sticks around for a playoff run later in the season. Let's not get too excited, it's only two weeks into the season, right?

Wrong.

The club has set up a great group of starting pitchers, and their bullpen isn't too shabby, either. I'm not going to say they will be around looking to get into the playoffs, though; that's definitely not happening for me this year, maybe next year. However, I will give them a thumbs up for being a very pesky ball club and taking out what people say are the best team in the leagues.

A major issue with saying the Pirates are going to the playoffs is, clearly, their lineup.

Doumit has been deemed off the field anywhere from eight to twelve weeks with a wrist injury that he's going to need surgery on.

He was by far the best up-and-coming big hitter in their lineup. Without him, that batting order lacks quite a bit of power. Unless someone like McLouth continues to step up, you might see run support begin to drop for the outstanding starters on the team.

I'll put the Pirates at winning 74 games this season. If Doumit wasn't injured, I would surely give them a few more wins. With him in the lineup smashing the ball, it gave the other guys so much more to hit. Won't see that now.

Maybe the Pirates will prove me wrong and make the playoffs—I doubt it, though.