Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz is getting the day off on Sunday in the series finale against the visiting Atlanta Braves. With Cruz retreating to the bench to rest up, Alika Williams will start at shortstop and bat in the nine-hole for the Bucs against Braves left-hander Chris Sale. Especially in the nine-hole, the light-hitting Williams should be avoided in fantasy lineups in a really tough matchup. Cruz has been in a rut at the plate recently and will be given the day off against a tough left-hander. The 25-year-old has only five hits in his last 35 at-bats (.143) average with no home runs, one RBI and 17 strikeouts in nine games since May 15 to drop his season line to .147/.302/.421. Cruz is extremely strong and has one of the fastest swings in the game, but he's currently leading the league with 72 strikeouts in 205 plate appearances.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller picked up his fourth straight quality start in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Braves. Keller pitched six-and-two-thirds innings of one-run ball, scattering six hits and striking out four batters while walking none. The outing lowered his season ERA to 3.59 (3.67 FIP) and the righty's WHIP now stands at 1.24. The former second-round draft pick isn't striking out as many batters as we're used to seeing (20.2% K%), but he's also reduced his HR/FB% to a career-low of 8.5% through 11 starts which has helped limit damage. The win was his sixth of the season, and hopefully he can sustain this success throughout the year, as last season he faded in the second half (first half 3.31 ERA, .278 wOBA vs. second half 5.59 ERA, .355 wOBA).

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever David Bednar allowed two hits over a scoreless inning to earn the save during Saturday's 4-1 win over the Atlanta Braves. Bednar entered the ninth inning to protect a three-run lead. He retired the first two batters he faced before surrendering back-to-back hits. The southpaw got Ronald Acuna Jr. to ground out to earn his 11th save. Bednar owns a 6.75 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts over 21 1/3 innings in 2024. Since May 1, the 29-year-old has racked up five saves while posting a 2.61 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and eight strikeouts over 10 1/3 frames. Bednar is Pittsburgh's primary closer, and fantasy managers should continue to roll with him in all leagues.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Edward Olivares turned in a big game in an 11-5 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday. Olivares went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI in the big win over Atlanta. The 28-year-old outfielder is now hitting .250 with five homers, 14 runs, and 16 RBI across 104 at-bats in 2024. He has been swinging a hot bat of late, hitting .348 with a homer and four RBI over his past seven games. Olivares is worth a look in deeper fantasy leagues while he is on this hot streak.

Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Nick Gonzales turned in a big game in an 11-5 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday. Gonzales went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, a run scored, and four RBI in the winning effort. The 24-year-old got the Pirates off to a fast start with a two-run single in the bottom of the first inning and then came back and added a two-run double in the sixth. Gonzales has been swinging a hot bat since being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on May 10, hitting .300 with two homers, seven runs, 13 RBI, and a steal in 50 at-bats. He has plenty of potential and needs to be rostered in deeper leagues moving forward.