Five reasons behind Pirates' surprise hot start to season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the biggest surprises in Major League Baseball this season, storming out of the gate with a 12-7 record entering Thursday's game against the Cincinnati Reds.

Considering that the Pirates entered the 2023 season coming off back-to-back 100-loss seasons (and played at a 100-loss pace in the shortened 2020 season), expectations were understandably low. Things looked even more bleak for the Pirates when young star shortstop Oneil Cruz was lost for what will probably be most of the season due to a fractured ankle in the first week of the season. 

They have not only overcome that injury, they have looked like a very good baseball team.

Here are five things that are driving that start. 

1. Andrew McCutchen returned and is still good

The big offseason move for the Pirates was bringing back long-time fan favorite McCutchen on a one-year contract. McCutchen was the cornerstone player for the franchise when they made three consecutive playoff appearances between 2013 and 2015, finishing in the top-five in MVP voting each year and winning it once.

The signing was good PR, and while McCutchen has still been a solid player in recent years, he has not played at an MVP level. But through the first few weeks of the 2023 season, McCutchen has been more than just a good PR piece. He has been sensational and off to his best start in years. He's hitting .310 with four home runs, nine RBI and three stolen bases so far this season.

2. The starting pitching has been better than expected

This might be the biggest factor in the Pirates' early success. Both the starting rotation and the bullpen were seen as huge question marks coming into the season, but rotation has exceeded any and all expectations. 

Their starters have combined for 10 consecutive quality starts through Thursday's game.

Mitch Keller and Roansy Contreras were the two starters that provided the most optimism, but Johan Oviedo has also emerged as a strong option to help complement them. 

3. Some strong veteran additions

McCutchen was not the only offseason addition that has paid for the Pirates offensively. 

They also signed Carlos Santana and Connor Joe to one-year deals, and both have provided a strong veteran presence in the lineup. 

With his three-run home run on Thursday, Joe has an OPS over 1.000 for the season, while Santana is pushing the .800 mark while giving strong professional at-bats every night. 

Combine their performances with the return of McCutchen and the fact the team did not trade Bryan Reynolds and they have some pieces to put together a competitive lineup. 

4. Young players taking big step forward

Even though losing Cruz has been disappointing, the Pirates have a handful of other young players that have excelled. 

Cruz's replacement, Rodolfo Castro, has hit the cover off the ball over the first three weeks of the season, while Jack Suwinski has been on a home run tear over the past week. 

The Pirates have been hopeful that both of them can be long-term answers in their lineup, and they are making strong statements so far that they can be. Castro's development really started to take off over the final two months of the 2022 season and he has not slowed down this season. 

They have also gotten a lift from utility man Ji Hwan Bae who has provided a spark defensively and on the bases as a base stealer. 

5. The schedule

As good and exciting as the Pirates have been, the schedule aspect of it can not be ignored as they have not really played a tough schedule yet. 

Outside of the defending World Series champion Houston Astros (who took two of three from the Pirates) and St. Louis Cardinals (they split four games), their schedule has featured the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies. 

They are going to get a big test next week when the Los Angeles Dodgers visit PNC Park. That will be a great measuring stick for where the Pirates are this season and what they might be capable of.