Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton, left, talks with pitchers Richard Rodriguez (48) and Michael Feliz (45) between innings of an intrasquad game during the team's baseball practice at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, July 15, 2020. The Pirates first-year manager is a mix of old-school grit and new-school analytics nerd. The club also believes he's a breath of fresh air for a franchise in need of a jolt. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Gene J. PuskarWhen four teams in a five-team division make the playoffs, a first in major league baseball in 2020, and those teams play each other for two-thirds of the schedule, that would seem to mean that the fifth team wasn’t very good.