BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Pirates' offense was not only really bad last season, it was historically bad. A .226 team batting average was the lowest of the modern era in franchise history (with the exception of 2020), and no Pirates team struck out more than the 2022 squad.
This spring, the Pirates have shifted their focus from building to setting an expectation to win. In order for that to happen, these guys have to hit. There can't be anything that resembles last year's production, despite many returning faces.
The Pirates' 11-3 defeat at the hands of the Braves on Sunday afternoon at LECOM Park featured several projected starters in the lineup, probably the closest resemblance of an Opening Day lineup you might see at this point in the spring.