Can Pittsburgh Pirates Youngsters Lift Doom and Gloom of 2010 Season?

In 2009 it appeared as though Pirates GM Neal Huntington was totally dismantling this ball club.

I must admit, it was very disappointing to see Ian Snell, Tom Gorzelanny, John Grabow, Jack Wilson, Nyjer Morgan, Adam LaRoche, and others go.

However, their replacements are doing very well.

Andrew McCutchen is second in the NL with 12 stolen bases, Garrett Jones is 11th with 27 RBI, and Ross Ohlendorf would be 15th with a 3.00 ERA had he pitched enough innings.

I believe the 2010 Pirates will be no worse than the 2009 team. In fact, they have many youngsters to keep an eye on.

For instance, Jones will most likely hit 30 or more round-trippers, the top four in the rotation (Zach Duke, Ohlendorf, Paul Maholm, and Charlie Morton) will likely win over 50 games, and Lastings Milledge, McCutchen, and Jones could be one of the better defensive outfields in the National League.

At the start of the season I looked for the Pirates to finish last in the National League Central with a record similar to last season (62-99). I see the 2010 leaders as follows:

Batting: Garrett Jones (.293)

Home runs: Garrett Jones (32)

RBI: Garrett Jones (66)

Stolen bases: Andrew McCutchen (25)

Wins: Ross Ohlendorf (13)

As you can see, the Pirates are exceeding my expectations and are currently on their way to winning 70 or more games. So, not all is doom and gloom for the Pirates.