Call to the pen
Fansided

Pittsburgh Pirates: 2016 Season In Review

By Bobby Mueller

facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
Aug 21, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) makes a catch against Miami Marlins third baseman Martin Prado (not pictured) during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 21, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) makes a catch against Miami Marlins third baseman Martin Prado (not pictured) during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

The Bad

SP Gerrit Cole (2.5 fWAR, 116 IP)—It might be a bit unfair to put Cole in this category, but expectations were very high after he was 19-8 with a 2.60 ERA in 2015. He finished the year as the team’s best pitcher, but a 7-10 record with a 3.88 ERA and 1.44 WHIP was disappointing for a pitcher with his talent. He also saw his strikeout rate drop from 8.7 K/9 to 7.6 K/9 and his walk rate went up by nearly a batter per nine innings. He was limited to 21 starts because of elbow issues and was placed on the 60-day DL in September with right elbow posterior inflammation. It was his third DL stint of the year. Based on recent reports, there is no ligament damage, so there is hope he can come back next year and be the ace he was in 2015.

2B Josh Harrison (1.5 fWAR, 522 PA)—Harrison got off to a great start this year. Through the first two months of the season, he was hitting .329/.363/.435. He struggled mightily in June and July (.205/.228/.318) as the team went 23-29. He got back on track in August and the first part of September (.326/.349/.418), but his season ended with a groin strain in mid-September. He hasn’t been able to come close to his breakout 2014 season, when he was worth 5.0 fWAR. Over the last two years, he’s been worth a combined 2.8 fWAR and his on-base percentage and slugging percentage have been below average.

SS Jordy Mercer (1.3 fWAR, 584 PA)—At his best in 2014, Mercer was a league average shortstop. Last year was ugly, this year was only a bit better than ugly. He’s better than replacement level, worse than league average.

CF Andrew McCutchen (0.9 fWAR, 675 PA)—McCutchen is the heart and soul of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Prior to this season, he was their best player for the last half decade. He’s loved by fans and respected by teammates. That’s why the 2016 season was so painful to watch. McCutchen had started slowly before, but this year his slow start extended all the way to the All-Star Break. He hit .247/.319/.426 in the first half. He did improve a bit in the second half, hitting .267/.358/.435, but was still not the Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh fans were used to seeing. This is a guy who had four straight seasons with a .400 or better on-base percentage from 2012 to 2015. He also slugged over .500 in three of those four years. And not only did he struggle on offense, but his defense was rated the worst of his career by the Fangraphs defense metric. Calling this season a disappointment is being generous. He could easily be shifted to the “ugly” category.

Home/MLB News