Young Bucs Gaining Confidence Down Home Stretch

Believe it or not, the Pirates are winners of five of their last seven games. As the season gets closer to its close, it’s great to see the team gaining momentum. By losing the likes of Rich Hill, Austin Hedges, Carlos Santana, and Ji-Man Choi, it opened up more opportunities for younger players to earn their stripes. As the season continues, expect the young bucs to progress into quality players. 

Walking into Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Tigers, the Pirates collectively hit .203 against the breaking ball. Tigers’ pitcher Matt Manning tried to tie up Pittsburgh’s hitters throwing breaking balls, but to his and all our surprise, the Pirates dominated in the batter’s box, including a bomb from Liover Peguero on a hanging pitch. Fans are seeing firsthand the progression of the young hitters. It’s happening in the field, too. Late during Sunday’s game against the Phillies, Henry Davis, Nick Gonzales, and Endy Rodriguez combined for an amazing double play that shifted the momentum. They are showing everybody that there could be a future for this team.

On top of the guys playing now, Ke’Bryan Hayes was reinstated Tuesday and should be back on the diamond soon. His defensive presence will be a key factor in any chances the Pirates have soon. Not to mention Oneil Cruz will be back for 2024, if not before the end of the year. Fans should be excited about Cruz coming back as his energy on and off the field should also spark this team. 

Another young Buc that the team just acquired on Tuesday that fans should be excited about is LHP Jackson Wolf. Wolf comes into the Pirates farm system as its seventeenth top prospect. He posted a 4.08 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP. He also put up 105 strikeouts to only twenty-two walks in San Diego’s Double-A team. 



The future looks bright as kids gain momentum towards the end of the season. Will they find a way to finish the season strong and give fans a reason to hope? Only time will tell, but one thing for sure is that expectations will be high heading into 2024.