I decided to do a little research putting Neal’s “under-performing” claim to the test. Basically, I wanted to see how the Pirates’ 2008 line-up would stack up against some other NL line-ups in 2007. I provided two line-ups below — the Phillies, who were tops in the NL with 892 runs scored, and the Cubs, who finished 8th with 752 runs, so I could try to gauge how significant of a jump the line-up as is would take if everything goes absolutely perfect. Keep in mind the Bucs were 12th in the NL last year with 724 runs scored.

Just look at that OBP. So sweet.

Think maybe Huntington was referring to the Cubs when he dropped his under-performing line? If Lee and Ramirez can get their power numbers back up, and Fukudome is as good as advertised, this line-up flies through the roof in 2008.

Pirates Projections

Alright, I figured the guesses below to be fair ceiling numbers for every player. Basically, this is what the Bucs’ stat-line would look like at the end of the year if every player avoids injuries and has a career year, which obviously wouldn’t happen, but at least then nobody “under-performs.”

Compares pretty favorably to the Cubs middle of the pack line-up except for the HR totals, which are noticeably higher, which projects the Pirates at 30-40 more runs in 2008 than the Cubs in 2007.

So if all goes perfectly, and the bench plays at a competitive level, 800 runs is the absolute max this line-up could reach, which would put us in sixth, just behind the Mets and Brewers who put up 804 and 801 runs respectively. Better than average, but probably not enough to carry a very poor bullpen and an average to above average rotation any further than 80 wins, especially considering the defensive holes in that line-up above.

Realistically, if Nady gets 550+ AB’s (major if), and Bay and LaRoche play to their capabilities (ditto, but not as unlikely in my book), this team is a threat to get 750 or so runs, which would be a solid improvement, and would make them your average NL line-up. Unfortunately, it isn’t as though this team has the pitching or the defense to carry a very average line-up to .500, let alone sniffing the post-season.

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