Virtual 2020 Pirates season preview





I will be serving as general manager/manage of the Pirates in a 2020 season simulation along with 29 others using Out Of The Park Baseball. Feel free to check here for daily updates. I realize baseball is a lot less important than what is going on in the world today but perhaps it can provide a diversion for a few moments.


Since virtual opening day is only a day away, it’s season preview time for the 2020 Virtual Pirates.

The first order of business is so report that legendary Pirates slugger Craig Wilson has agreed to be my bench coach. If things go sideways – to use one of my predecessor Clint Hurdle’s favorite terms – you can blame Craig.

I have decided to have Chris Archer start the opener on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Since I don’t have a true No. 1 starter – or a No. 2 for that matter – I decided to go with great theater by having Archer face his old team.

The rest of the rotation, in order: Joe Musgrove, Mitch Keller, Trevor Williams and Derek Holland.

I slotted Keller third so the rookie could avoid the hoopla of opening day at Wrigley Field next Monday. I also set up fan favorite Musgrove to pitch the home opener April 2 against the Reds.

Please note that I tried to replicate the Pirates’ real opening-day roster as much as possible. How long that will stay intact, though, remains to be seen.

Fittingly, the Rays are starting old friend Tyler Glasnow. So the opening day lineup will look like this:

Adam Frazier 2B
Bryan Reynolds LF
Josh Bell 1B
Gregory Polanco RF
Jose Osuna DH
Colin Moran 3B
Kevin Newman SS
Jacob Stallings C
Jarrod Dyson CF

I think Adam Frazier will have a better season than he had last year, and Kevin Newman is due for regression. Hence, Frazier batting leadoff.

The bench looks like this:

C Luke Maile
INF Erik Gonzalez
IF/OF JT Riddle
OF Guillermo Heredia

Keone Kela will be the closer.

However, I am going with Nick Burdi and Michael Feliz as the primary set-up men while dropping Kyle Crick and Richard Rodriguez into middle relief. I’m bullish on the potential of both Burdi and Feliz and want to ease Crick back into higher-leverage spots after he had finger surgery last September.

Rounding out the bullpen are Edgar Santana, lefty and my BFF Blake Weiman and long man Chris Stratton.

Hopefully, we won’t lose 100 games. Not to be negative.

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