A few minutes into Day 2 of the 2010 draft, the Pirates selected Stetson Allie with the 52nd overall pick. A few moments later, Baseball Prospectus prospect guru Kevin Goldstein tweeted the following:
If the #Pirates sign Allie, this has the POTENTIAL to be a franchise-changing two days.
Kevin Goldstein
Kevin_Goldstein
Of course, that statement is probably a bit of hyperbole. Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie, while extremely talented, are just two players who are several years away from potentially arriving at PNC Park. Despite signing both teenage pitchers on Monday night, the major league squad is still staring at a 100-loss season. Barring some good fortune, 2011 will be another losing season. This team is still a very long way from legitimately competing.
But forget all of that, and allow yourself to be content for just one night. The Pirates have added two impact pitching prospects to the system. Pedro Alvarez, 23-years-old, went 2 for 4 with three RBI’s tonight. Andrew McCutchen, 23-years-old, went 2 for 4 with a home run and a stolen base. Jose Tabata, who turned 22-years-old on Thursday, walked twice. James McDonald, 25-years-old, continued the excellent beginning to his Pirates career with another solid start. The Bucs won comfortably, 7-1.
Tomorrow might dissolve into yet another evening of flailing hitters, disoriented baserunners and erratic pitchers. It may be the beginning of a typical Pirates losing streak. But this was a good day for a fan base that is desperate for some good days. Enjoy it, Pirates fans.
