ALL DECADE PIRATES

Pittsburgh essentially had a three year run amidst another disappointing decade... but at least the 20 year playoff drought was snapped! Unfortunately, the Pirates were 1-2 in Wild Card games and lost the 2013 NLDS. I just.... don't have much to say about Pittsburgh. I'm hoping their fans will enjoy this squad as much as I enjoy their distinctive yellow cards!

I think Pittsburgh would rather have the two guys on the Rays' all-decade squad now, 

but trading for Archer made Pittsburgh pretty exciting for a couple weeks in 2018! 

LINEUP: Overall, the Pirates have a pretty lackluster lineup for an All Decade team. McCutchen is an absolute stud as an OB 11 with A(21) speed and extra bases at 15. He'll definitely be their best player. I'm saddened that Josh Bell is "only" an OB 9, HR at 17 after Bob's "Bell HR watch" through the course of the 2019 season. Gregory Polanco has a chance to really shine, but that 1-6 out range is dangerous. The bottom of the order features a lot of OB 8s, but at least they've got some extra base pop. Overall, I think they're just too underwhelming to compete in the rugged NL Central.

ROTATION: The Pirates are loaded with Control 6, Tier 2 starters!! However, classic Gerrit Cole leads the way for them -- he's also a Tier 2, although the Control 3 will scare managers. After that, the Pirates are rolling out STRONG options and I think they're going to have to rely on starting pitching to contend. I think AJ Burnett's large GB rate will make him a sneaky contender for Cy Young as a fourth starter getting lots of double plays... he'll face plenty of Tier 3 starters too, giving him opportunities for victories!

BULLPEN: The heart and soul of this team. They've got a pair of Tier 1 guys to use as closers, then a pair of high control Tier 2 guys with no doubles to use as extra firepower. Gotta love Justin Wilson's IP 2 card too. The Pirates are definitely ready to bail out a starter in trouble to keep a game close or solidify a small lead early. Definitely one of the better bullpens, but not at the level of the Rays, Braves, or Royals.

Overall, the Pirates are a "meh" team in my eyes and that's reflected in their point total, 6670 points.  They're the weakest team in the NL Central and near the bottom of the overall standings. I don't have a lot of hope for them making a run, just not enough impact hitters tbh. Anyway, here's the standings after TWENTY SIX All Decade teams!

1.   Dodgers              8010 points
2.   Yankees              7920 points
3.   Red Sox              7770 points
4.   Nationals            7670 points
5.   Astros                 7420 points
6.   Mets                    7230 points
7.   Reds                    7220 points
8.   Phillies                7200 points
9.   Blue Jays            7140 points
10.   Rockies               7090 points
11.   Rangers              7070 points
12.   Rays                    7060 points
13.   Cubs                    7000 points
14.   Twins                  6910 points
15.   Indians               6880 points
16.   (T15) Mariners  6880 points
17.   Orioles                6830 points
18.   Giants                 6800 points
19.   Braves                 6790 points
20.   Marlins               6750 points
21.   Tigers                  6710 points
22.   (T21) Cardinals 6710 points
23.   Athletics             6670 points
24.   (T23) Pirates      6670 points
25.   Royals                 6570 points
26.   Padres                 6510 points