- MANAGER: Jim Leyland
- HOME PARK: Green Canyon Park
- TOP POSITION PLAYER: 1B Johnny Mize (17)
- TOP PITCHER: Cy Young (17)
- TOP PROSPECT: CF Joe DiMaggio (53)
- 26TH MAN: Corey Seager
The Pirates are certainly one of the more star-studded squads in the league, but may take some time to find their groove. They’ll get solid early production from Mize and DiMaggio, with Ichiro pestering batteries from the leadoff spot, and start strongly enough on the pitching side with their Cy Young-led rotation. But it will be in the middle years this group looks sure to shine, and perhaps even dominate, when players such as their two Joes – Shoeless and Morgan – as well as Posey and Abreu move into their Goldilocks era, and Big Papi starts breaking hearts off the bench. Their pitching stocks look plentiful as well, with Glavine, Dizzy Dean, Niekro and the great Smoky Joe Wood all set to give it a great shake. The only question mark is their defence, but I’m not sure a few unearned runs here and there are going to matter too much with this huge squad.
1961 PREDICTIONS
RECORD: 75-93, 4th in South, 18 GB
HITTING: .262 / 117 HR / 693 R / 133 SB
PITCHING: 4.24 ERA / 818 K / 789 R / 481 BB