The 2019 Pittsburgh Pirates are writing the same story that each Pirates team has written almost every season in the last decade. Sure, 2013-2015 were the brightest spots in the franchise’s history since 1979, but aside from that stretch, this decade has been nothing but average baseball.
The 90-100 loss seasons came to an end in 2012 and were replaced with second-place finishes in the division, along with playoff births, in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Since that time, the franchise has been incapable of choosing a path for the club.
78, 75, and 82 wins in 2016, 2017, and 2018 are not the mark of a bad baseball team, but it’s this consistently average play that should force the team to make a decision.