3 Reasons Pirates Fans Should Be Optimistic About The Rest Of 2015

The 2015 Pittsburgh Pirates have struggled with inconsistency all season long, but that's far from a death sentence for this talented bunch. Here's 3 Reasons Pirates Fans Should Be Optimistic About The Rest Of 2015.

1. The Inevitable Rise Of Andrew McCutchen

Cutch is already showing signs of turning the corner after hitting at a dismal .194 clip April, posting a .280 batting average in May while showcasing a palpable chip on his shoulder day in and day out. Other than maybe Mike Trout, Andrew McCutchen is the most complete superstar in all of Major League Baseball. He's already putting it together from a contact perspective, and the pop and pure highlight-reel awesomeness will inevitably be next.

2. Starling Marte's Star Turn

With McCutchen struggling to put things together for the majority of the campaign, it's been Starling Marte who has put the offense on his back. He needs to cut down on his team-worst 35 strikeouts, but everything else has been NL MVP form for the 26-year-old rising star. Once the pieces around him catch fire (and they will), this offense will start to hum along at an epic clip.

3. A Muddled NL Wild Card Race

A run at division-leading St. Louis is far from out of the...Cards (we'll be here all week), but one look at the rest of the pack in the National League and you'll see why the Pirates remain favorites for a playoff berth. Coming into play on Friday, the cut line for the first and second NL wild cards is at two games over .500. The only two potential juggernauts in that group are the Pirates and Nats, and we expect both of those teams to string together wins in the dog days of summer and find a way into the postseason party down the stretch.

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