MLB Executive Reveals Why Pirates Could Be Terrifying In October originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
More than a quarter of the way through the season, the Pittsburgh Pirateslook like playoff contenders.
After beating the Colorado Rockies on Thursday, the Pirates enter their weekend rivalry series against the Philadelphia Phillies with a 24-20 record and a plus-32 run differential. They rank sixth in runs per game, eighth in ERA and have a 58.9 percent chance of reaching the postseason, according to FanGraphs.
Their odds would be higher, but the NL Central has proven to be the toughest division in baseball this year. All five teams have a winning record, leaving Pittsburgh in fourth place.
Still, one or two of those teams should fall off eventually. If the Pirates do make the playoffs for the first time since 2015, they'll be quite scary.
“The Pirates have enough pitching that you would not want to play them in October,” an American League executive told Jayson Stark of The Athletic (subscription required). “I mean, obviously you’re going to get really good starters in Games 1, 2 and 3.”
Assuming they're healthy, that would likely be Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller and Braxton Ashcraft, or potentially even Jared Jones if he comes back strong.
Pittsburgh's lineup could also be more dangerous by October if Ben Cherington adds another big bat at the trade deadline.
“Pitching-wise, they’ve got the inventory in their system to go out and get what they need offensively if they’ll take on the money," a different AL executive told Stark.
The Pirates added payroll over the winter, so if they're willing to add more at the deadline, they could be in great shape by the postseason.
More MLB: Ben Cherington Explains Pirates' Stunning Transformation Into Contenders
