You need only a little more than one hand to count the Pirates’ position players who have exceeded expectations. Gregory Polanco. Starling Marte. Jordy Mercer. David Freese. Matt Joyce. Sean Rodriguez.
Freese has passed Rodriguez on my list to move to the top.
Let’s start with this factoid:
The Pirates are 45-32 when Freese is in the starting lineup, 12-23 when he’s not.
“I like that,” Freese was saying Thursday.
This was after the Pirates beat San Diego, 4-0, at PNC Park. Freese drove in the first run with a first-inning single and the second run with a two-out, third-inning double.