If you are wearying of Three True Outcome Baseball (more homers, walks and strikeouts with fewer balls in play) then you should be a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh jumped out to a 12-7 start and first place in the NL Central by playing the kind of baseball that is disappearing: a strike-throwing pitching staff, rangy defense and an offense that never got the “Launch Angle” memo everybody else did.
“I like to manage a team that coaches can bring their kids to watch play,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “I definitely feel that way with this club.