Here’s our report on 2021 Pirates Win Total Bet: How Many Games Pittsburgh Will Win, complete with a 2021 Pirates Wins Over/Under. The Game Day takes a dive into offseason acquisitions and losses to determine potentially profitable win total betting odds.
- Pirates Win Total Over/Under odds and lines courtesy of PointsBet current as of 3/17/2021 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
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2021 Pirates Win Total Bet: How Many Games Will Pittsburgh Win?
2021 Pirates Wins Over/Under
- Over 58.5 wins (-110)
- Under 58.5 wins (-110)
The Pittsburgh Pirates were last in the National League Central division in 2020. They ended the season with a 19-41 record, which was the worst record in baseball last season. Heading into 2021, the Pirates suffered significant personnel losses with players electing free agency or the team not re-signing them. The team also traded away any veteran that had trade value. The outlook is not promising for the Pirates going into 2021, and at least 100 losses seem like it is all but guaranteed.
A number of Pirates players from 2020 elected free agency including Keone Kela, Derek Holland and Chris Archer. Kela signed a one-year deal with San Diego during the offseason. He could factor into the closer situation there. Holland signed with the Tigers and is attempting to make Detroit’s major league squad. Archer signed on with the Tampa Bay Rays during the offseason.
Pittsburgh also traded several players in order to build for the future. The first big-name player to go was Josh Bell, who was traded to Washington for pitchers Wil Crowe and Eddy Yean. Crowe debuted for the Nationals in 2020, but only played eight innings and struggled with command and location. He could make the opening day roster for the Pirates as a fifth starter or a long reliever. Yean is listed by MLB.com as Pittsburgh’s No. 8 prospect and is not likely to make the major league roster until 2023.
The next major trade included shipping pitcher Joe Musgrove to the San Diego Padres. Musgrove had a breakout year for the Pirates in 2020, so trading him last offseason helped extract the most value possible for Pittsburgh. In the three-team deal, the Pirates received catcher Endy Rodriguez, pitchers David Bednar, Drake Fellows and Omar Cruz as well as outfielder Hudson Head. Head is listed as the No. 6 prospect in Pittsburgh’s minor league system, but the rest are outside of their top 20. None of the players they received in this deal are expected to make an impact this year. This was clearly a move to set the Pirates up to be successful in the future.
The last major trade the Pirates made over the offseason was sending pitcher Jameson Taillon to the Yankees. Pittsburgh received pitchers Roansy Contreras and Miguel Yajure, shortstop Maikol Escotto and outfielder Canaan Smith. Yajure could see time in Pittsburgh’s rotation or bullpen this season but likely starts the year in Triple-A. Contreras is listed as the team’s No. 19 prospect. Clearly, these trades signal that Pittsburgh’s front office expects the team will not realistically compete this season.
The Pirates suffered significant personnel losses, but did they add any players that will help them in 2021? The short answer is no.
In February, they picked up free agent third baseman Todd Frazier, outfielder Brian Goodwin and catcher Tony Wolters. Of these players, Goodwin has the best chance to earn significant starting time, but he will not add enough wins to the team to matter.
Even though the Pirates may not field the best team in baseball, they should still have some productive players.
Mitch Keller is a young pitcher that has shown the ability to strike batters out, although he allows too many walks. Richard Rodriguez should get the nod at closer for Pittsburgh. He saved four games in 2020, had a 13.1 K/9 rate, and a .270 ERA. Second baseman Adam Frazier should also be a productive player. His plate discipline and OBP are his calling cards, and he is only two seasons removed from a stat line that included 10 home runs, 80 runs, and a .278 batting average.
The Pirates boast one of the best young players in the game – third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes. He had a spectacular debut season in 2020 and should be able to build off that in 2021. Outfielder Bryan Reynolds is also a deceptively good player. In 2019 he hit 16 home runs to go with a .314 average. He hit for average throughout the minors, and despite struggling in 2020, he could bounce back nicely this season.
Fellow outfielder Gregory Polanco also holds value as a potential candidate for double-digit home runs and steals. Corner infielder Colin Moran has the potential to hit 20-plus home runs this season. Unfortunately, this is not going to be enough to keep Pittsburgh competitive in the MLB this season.
2021 Pirates Win Total Wager: Under 58.5 wins (-110)
The Pirates were the worst team in the MLB in 2020, and in all likelihood, they will be the worst team in baseball in 2021.
They do not have the assets to compete this year and are clearly building for the future. Take the under this season – the Pirates could be historically terrible.
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