Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Play it again, Sports and Cranberry, 1-4 to meet Coach Dave Gray and his next Point Wins book signing. All right, Sean. It's time for a 2026 spring training edition of the numbers game.
How about this music, huh?
Incredible music.
Yeah, thank you.
I'm glad that you found it.
It's my favorite song.
No flags on the play. It is appropriate music, I'd like to say. It works for our Bucko baseball segment. Sean, I have a number for you. Yes. 28th. The Pirates ranked 28th in batting average last season at 231. They did add Ryan O'Hearn, who is not a huge power bat to 17 home runs last year. But O'Hearn is somebody that should be able to help the Pirates bring up their batting average as a team.
281 is what he hit last season.
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Chapter 2: What is the Pirates' batting average ranking for last season?
Interesting you say that. Here we go. I want to put some context on the .3 war for Cruz last year. There was a guy in a Pirates uniform who had a better war at .5. Alexander Canario had a higher wins above replacement last year than O'Neal Cruz did.
Sean, that is another incredible number. Sean, I'm going to give you a number that's nice. 69. The Pirates added 69 home runs. Hello, Pony. Did you know this, Pony? The Pirates added 69 home runs in Brandon Lau with 31, Marcelo Zuno with 21, and Ryan O'Hearn with 17 from last season. The Pirates as a team only hit 117 a year ago. Pretty decent number there.
He's moving pomp.
Now he's joining the show. We're doing the Pirates numbers game.
I just want to say, speaking of Brandon Lau, he's coming on with us today. At 315. What a shameless plug. I can't hear you, Sean, because I don't have headphones on. What's the first thing you want to ask, Mr. Lowe? I have no idea yet. Why? What do you want me to ask him? Do you have anything on the top of your head from the numbers game that sticks out?
Not entirely. A numbers game-related question for him? Does he think that it will be better hitting over the Clemente wall, despite it being 21 feet high, than previous ballparks that he's played in?
Like Steinbrenner Field.
Yeah, I wonder about that.
In the Tropicana Dome.
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Chapter 3: How does Marcel Ozuna's OPS compare to Andrew McCutcheon's?
Yes.
All right. You guys can get back to what you were doing. I just wanted to throw that in there.
Thank you, Pony.
You're welcome.
Appreciate you joining. So check that out. 315, Britain and Laos. Join the PM team. How about this? Sean, do you have a number? Pony is still in here talking. Well, yeah. Team Canada. It's a 2-0 game against Finland right now. This Sidney Crosby discussion might end up being a moot point.
Get him suited up for the third period. Get him out there.
As they are halfway through the second period of play, Team Canada still without a goal. Oh, what would that say about Connor McDavid? The discourse in Canada. McDavid becomes the captain for one game and they lose to Finland?
Well, Sidney Crosby is the first overall pick and my next number will relate to another first overall pick. 181. That is the career batting average for Henry Davis. And at this point, it's not that small of a sample size. He has played 186 games, 581 at bat. So about a season or maybe more than a full season worth. And his batting average is 181.
Well, I have a number to coincide with that, John. .7. Henry Davis had a .7 war a year ago despite a .167 batting average. He had a higher war than O'Neal Cruz.
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Chapter 4: What were the Pirates' strikeout numbers last season?
More than doubling O'Neal Cruz. A higher war than O'Neal Cruz did Henry Davis because of how strong his defense is. If Davis can become just an average hitter, 230 range? 235, 240? Hit you 10-plus home runs and driving around 50 RBIs? Would you take it? At least this year, I think that's a considerable step.
Yes. I mean, it still feels like a massive disappointment for what the expectations were when you drafted him. But if you go... to 220 when your career batting average is 180, that is a significant step forward.
People forget in 2013 when Russell Martin played his first year with the Pirates, he only hit 226 with 15 home runs and 55 RBIs. People think Russell Martin was like the catalyst of that offense outside of McCutcheon and Pedro Alvarez. At least that's kind of the perception I view it. He was a four-win player because of his defense and his value, but... And he was also a terrific running catcher.
If you get some solid numbers there... That could be a huge number for them. To go along with O'Neal Cruz, 200. That was his batting average last year. And I'll give the number that I gave in the first segment. Cruz hit 133 in August, 167 in September, and just fell apart similarly to how Mitch Keller typically does late in seasons.
Keller had an ERA of four in September last year, but his ERA was in the fives the month prior.
All right, so you're talking about pitchers. I got a couple here for notable starters for the Buccos.
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Chapter 5: How many home runs did the Pirates hit last season?
Three is my number. The number of games in which Paul Skeens has racked up 10 or more strikeouts in his career, over 55 starts, three times 10-plus. Now, a lot of that is pitch count. I think he will shatter that this season alone. I could see him getting at least five or six games of 10 strikeouts this season alone, but for two years, just three games with 10 or more strikeouts.
Are you ready for another O'Neal Cruz number, Sean?
I'm very ready.
11. Why was O'Neal Cruz war so low? O'Neal Cruz committed 11 errors in the outfield last season. One of the highest numbers in all of baseball.
That's a crazy stat. 11 errors. It's a wonderful number, although not a wonderful number for Pirates fans. Well, I will give a little bit more of a hopeful number. Two. That is the number of qualified pitchers last year who had a lower whip, walks and hits per innings pitched, than Bubba Chandler. Wow. .093 was his whip. Now, small sample size, 31 plus innings.
But the only two pitchers who had a better whip than him, Tarek Skubal and Jacob DeGrom. I don't know that he could count on that over the course of a full season for Chandler, but it shows the potential that is there, and I think we're probably underrating his potential a little bit.
And that's why he is the No. 11 prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. Spring training coverage is brought to you by Hampton Beer Outlet. Route 8 in Hampton. Drive a little, save a lot. Sean, can I give you another number regarding Bubba Chandler, please? You may. 20.2. In 20 and two-thirds innings outside of one start where he allowed nine runs in two and two-thirds innings.
So in one start, he allowed nine and just two and two-thirds. In those other 20 and two-thirds innings, Bubba Chandler had a 218 ERA. He had one start that significantly fell apart for him. Gave up almost 10 runs. Couldn't even get out of the third inning. Outside of that one very bad outing, Just a .218 ERA.
I can only imagine what his whip would be if you take out that one outing as well. All right, I have one final number for you, Austin, and it's not a great one. Four. Four teams have a longer World Series drought than the Pirates' 46-year drought. Can you name them? I'll give you a little bit of a hint. Okay, restate the question again for me. The Pirates' World Series drought is 46 years.
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