5 Reasons the 2012 Pirates are for real.

1. Pitching-The pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season has been nothing short of phenomenal. The emergence of James McDonald has to start getting more National attention.  J-Mac has been down right nasty at times this season, and when he is rolling he is one of the best right handers in the National League. He is currently 5th in the ERA race, and can be one of the best strikeout pitchers in the league.  He is proving to be consistent and possesses "Ace" potential.  He may not be lights out all season, but is turning into a horse that Clint Hurdle can rely on.  AJ Burnett and Erik Bedard have done everything asked of them and more.  Burnett has really emerged as a leader and a guy that can be trusted, and Bedard is very consistent. The top three for the Pirates set up well for the rest of the season.  The Bullpen has been outstanding as well.  The three inning combination of Juan Cruz, Jason Grilli, and Joel Hanranhan has been tremendous and has shown no signs it will stop.  Tony Watson and Brad Lincoln have been nice surprises as well.  Obviously there is no way to predict how they will pitch for the remainder of the season.  There is also no way to say it will go foul either, they have been great so far and have carried the team.  The three top starters will be around all year long.  Kevin Correia, Jeff Karstens,Charlie Morton, and Brad Lincoln are all questionable starting pitchers this season. They have had good outings, but nothing to cement their roles.  The Pirates could always look to bring up a Rudy Owens if the time is right. I do not really see the Bucs being in the market for another starting pitcher when trades start happening.  They could look for a more reliable Lefty reliever if the price is right.

2. Efficient Offense?-Yes, I did put a question mark. How does the worst statistical offense in the league somehow have efficient in the same sentence? My theory is simple: How bad can it be if you are in first place? That is the reality of it all. The Pirates do great work with what they have.  The offense started out putrid, and never got that much better.  The past week or so they have been getting it done as well as they have all season. Rod Barajas and Clint Barmes are somewhat coming around. Alex Presley makes things happen one way or another. Neil Walker,Jose Tabata, and Pedro Alvarez are freakishly streaky.  The Pirates are currently enjoying a nice stretch for Neil Walker, maybe it will last. The Bucs have found ways to win without hitting the ball hard. They scratch and claw and the pitching keeps them around. Andrew McCutchen is the only true threat. Everyone else is streaky or just plan mediocre. They can definitely upgrade with an outfielder or first basemen. I bet the Pirates will make some sort of move before July to give the offense a boost.

3. Andrew McCutchen-I think it would be fair to say he is a legitimate MVP candidate at this point.  He is without a question more valuable to the Pirates than any other one player is to their respective team.  The Dodgers can win without Matt Kemp, and they have been doing it.  The Rangers can still smash the ball without Josh Hamilton.  The Pirates could not win without McCutchen. It is that simple. I still do not see why teams actually pitch to the guy. 1. He is THAT good. 2. Nobody else on the team can hit.  He leads the team in all major categories. He is on pace for a 30-30 season, and very well can attain that.  The Pirates success starts and ends with Cutch.  He tailed off a bit last year, but I do not see that happening this season.  He embraces being the face of the franchise, and handles it well.  McCutchen needs to be the guy all season, and I think he will be.

4. Hurdled-The guy will intentionally walk the winning run. He may leave his lefty reliever in to face a tough right handed batter.  He may have his best hitters bunt in questionable situations.  He also wins, and has this team in contention.  Say what you will about Hurdle's quirky style, but it works. It works with this team especially. The 2012 Pirates do not have that much talent. They have a very Pirate-like 30th ranked offense. They find themselves in first place regardless.  Hurdle manages with his gut and his instincts. He is not by the book by any measure. He makes some really strange calls at times, but I have witnessed at least five key wins this season they won by the calls he was making. These Pirates would be towards the bottom with John Russell and most other managers. Clint Hurdle has changed the culture, and made this team believe they can win. It is hard to describe, but Hurdle works well with these Pirates. He needs to keep taking risks and going with his gut. It is working, it needs to be left alone.

5. NL Central-The Cubs are terrible and should leave plenty of wins open for the Pirates. The Astros will fade soon, and could give some more wins up.  This leaves a four team race for first. They are the same four teams as least year, but not quite the same teams.  Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder are gone.  The Brewers have not been playing that well, and the Pirates went in to Milwaukee and took two of three. That was unheard of the past few seasons as the Brewers have owned the Pirates. The tides may have changed, and that is a big curse the Pirates need to get over.  The Bucs have also played well against Cincinnati this season. This division is one of the weaker ones in the league, if not the weakest.  The Cardinals are always a factor, and the Reds have the most talent. It will not be easy to unseat either of those, especially down the stretch.  The Pirates may have learned from last year and may be able to avoid the 10 game losing streak to ruin the whole season.  McCutchen and company can scrap and hang around.  It may only take 85-88 wins for the division, and that is something the Pirates can do.