So just how far away are the Pirates from being a playoff contender? If you watched any significant part of the 2020 season, you’d say they’re about a million miles away. But if you watched the Miami Marlins in 2019, you might have said the same thing.
The ’19 Marlins finished 57-105 and it seemed like the playoffs were the last thing on anyone’s mind. Yet Miami – thanks to an expanded playoff field brought on by COVID-19 – snatched a spot in this year’s National League playoffs and swept the favored Chicago Cubs in two straight games in the opening round.