Have the Pittsburgh Pirates Finally Seen the Light?

This has been an interesting season for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In fact, it has been an interesting season overall for the NL Central.

The Pirates, one of the teams in the MLB considered a "lost cause" throughout the 1990's and 2000's, have emerged from a proverbial grave—at least at this point in the season—to put up favorable numbers and capitalize on the downfall of some of the other NL Central teams.

Let's analyze: during the past five seasons year-to-date, the Pirates have put up very abysmal records:

• June 29, 2006
  • 27-53
  • Sixth Place
  • 17.5 games behind
• June 29, 2007
  • 34-45
  • Fourth Place
  • 12 games behind
• June 29, 2008
  • 38-43
  • Fifth Place
  • 10.5 games behind
• June 29, 2009
  • 35-41
  • Sixth Place
  • 6 games behind
• June 29, 2010
  • 26-51
  • Sixth Place
  • 17 games behind

As you can see, the Pirates have obviously averaged out a record below .500, and have seen themselves on the tail end of the division—the low fan attendance at beautiful PNC Park in the past few years have really shown that.

Even now, you never hear of the Pirates and whether or not they are contenders in the season, which is why they have been able to make a silent run towards first place. The Chicago Cubs, who have consistently been in the top three teams during the span of losing for the Pirates, have seemingly switched roles with Pittsburgh, taking a backseat and watching the other teams fly over them (32-48, fifth place, 12 GB). 

So, what is contributing to the Pirates' better statistics? Let's take a look:

1. Pitching
   Although the ERA is still relatively high for many of the Pirates' staff (although not bad overall, as they are eighth in the MLB, fifth in the NL, and first in their division at 3.51), we are seeing the wins, losses, and strikeouts becoming consistently above-average for the Pirates.
   
   Kevin Correia is tacking on a 10-6 record with a 3.79 ERA and a strikeout to walk ratio of nearly 2:1. The bullpen has been able to keep the leads in the game as the team as a whole carry 48 holds (the leader being Jose Veras), and Joel Hanrahan, their closer, has 23 saves with no blown saves.
   
   Combined with other saves from middle relievers, the Pirates are actually making a scene in the MLB in terms of relief pitching. They are fourth in the league in saves earned as a team.
2. Hitting
   Hitting is definitely not a strength of the team overall (and the pitching does compensate), but the Pirates are putting out favorable numbers. They are ranked in the 20s of the league overall in hitting dynamics, but with stars such as Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker putting up respectable numbers, Pirates fans have people to look forward to seeing on a game-to-game basis.
3. Coaching
   This is Clint Hurdle's first season as Pirates coach, and if you have not been following that too closely, you can sense that there is a different manager in the club this year. Remember, Clint Hurdle was a part of two teams' first World Series appearances (Colorado in 2007 and Texas in 2010 as their hitting coach).
   
   It was only recently that we saw Hurdle come above the ground in the league--his Colorado Rockies teams from the early 2000s were, what I considered, "Pittsburgh Pirates West." After failing to keep his head above the ground in 2009, the Rockies fired him and he found himself in Arlington, being a part of a franchise that showed dominance through the season and was able to have a slew of great hitters in his repertoire.
   
   So far, he has been a blessing to the Pirates' franchise, bringing the team to their best record after 78 games since they were 40-38 in 1999 (more on that later). Nevertheless, with the proper approach to the game in Pittsburgh, Hurdle has slowly instilled a sense of hope in Pittsburgh. Let's see if they can carry the great record further.
4. Fans
   I've never been to PNC Park personally; however, I have seen many Pirates games on television and, quite frankly, have seen seas of empty seats. More recently, however, PNC Park is starting to look the way it does in the video games; more fans are attending and you see more excitement among the fans.
   
   Sure, it's no Fenway Park, but it is great to see more turnout in Pittsburgh for an actual Pirates game rather than an All-Star Game.
5. The Opponents
   It should be noted that a major reason for the Pirates success falls off the heels of a shift in power among the usual contenders in the NL Central, especially the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs.
   
   The Cubs have been performing, well, Pirates-esque, if you will and teetering down the ranks to give themselves a twelve game deficit in the division. The only team that is doing worse: Houston Astros. The St. Louis Cardinals have lost their Golden Boy in Albert Pujols to injury (as if the off-season contract disputes weren't bad enough), and are now trying to keep their chemistry level high.
   
   It is without a doubt that if these teams were stronger, the Pirates (with a 16-10 record in NL Central play; the only division where they are above .500) would not see such modest success. 

With 162 games in the season, and only 78 in the books so far, anything can happen between now and October. For instance, in the aforementioned 1999 season, the Pirates held a 40-38 record after 78 games. However, the losses reared their ugly heads again and the Pirates ended with a 38-45 run. (Nevertheless, it should also be noted that the Chicago Cubs finished last in the division, which, in keeping tune with the earlier "Cubs-Pirates switch" analogy, allowed Pittsburgh to still finish in a modest third place. Who finished first? The streaking and powerful Houston Astros.)

Does this mean that Pittsburgh would finish with a sub-.500 record? For the sake of its fans, I sure hope not. But it shouldn't be a surprise if they were to follow that path once again. Whether they do or not, they are enjoying a comfortable spot in the NL Central, and with the way the other teams are looking, they could stay in that comfortable spot throughout the rest of the year.