Pirates suddenly contenders in NL Central

The Pittsburgh Pirates have mostly been an afterthought this season. Throughout much of the campaign, stars like Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen were struggling well below their normal output, while outfielder Starling Marte was suspended for 80 games due to PED usage.

Now, things have brightened for Pittsburgh. The Pirates seemed destined to be stone-cold sellers at the July 31 trade deadline only a few weeks ago, and now find themselves right in the thick of the National League Central race. While the wild card looks like s distant dream thanks to the play of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies (who as of Thursday night both sit 7.5 games ahead of Pittsburgh), the Central is wide open.

Going into the season, the Chicago Cubs were expected to roll to another division title, but things have gone a bit haywire. It has been the upstart Milwaukee Brewers leading the pack almost from the start, thanks to a powerful lineup that includes Ryan Braun, Eric Thmas, Travis Shaw, Domingo Santana and others. However, the Brewers have begun to slip, losing five consecutive games including a four-game sweep at PNC Pack this week. Paired with the Cubs winning six in a row out of the All-Star break and Pittsburgh being 8-2 in its last 10 contests, things have tightened up quickly.

Slow starts from McCutchen and Cole are certainly a thing of the past, with the former MVP outfielder looking as good as ever. McCutchen is hitting .288 with 17 home runs and 53 RBI, leading the club in all categories. Cole has a 7-7 mark with a 4.18 ERA, but things have started to turn for the 26-year-old. If he can continue finding himself, he forms a nice duo at the top of the rotation with Ivan Nova, who has surprised with 10 wins and a 3.27 ERA.

Pittsburgh doesn’t have the star power of the Cubs or the offensive firepower of the Brewers, but the balance is there to make a deep run. The Pirates also have a deep farm system and could try to add another piece to the rotation, perhaps even going all-in to acquire Sonny Gray. Gray has been rumored to the Brewers for some time, but the Pirates ought to make a deal if possible for the 27-year-old hurler. Gray is under team control for this year and two more at a cheap cost, fitting the Pirates’ mold.

At 48-48, Pittsburgh still has a ways to go, but there is hope. The Pirates are only three games back and playing their best baseball of the season, and just in the nick of time.