PITTSBURGH -- Scanning the list of pitchers who will be stretched out to start in Spring Training, one set of numbers stood out to Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage. Not their ERAs, not their Statcast™ spin rates, not even their ground-ball percentages.
What got Searage fired up as he spoke with reporters Sunday at PirateFest? Their ages. Aside from left-hander Wade LeBlanc, 32, all of the Pirates' potential starters are between 23 and 26.
"That's fresh, baby! That's fresh," Searage said, smiling. "That's awesome. That's really good. It's going to be a busy time, but we're going to have to be able to learn quickly and make adjustments accordingly.