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The Pirates don’t need any of these pitchers to front a rotation, because they have one of the best pitchers in baseball in Paul Skenes, and a reasonable candidate for a #2 in Jared Jones. Last year, with those two making just 45 starts, the Pirates’ rotation was the best it’s been since 2017, with 11.4 FanGraphs WAR. This year’s rotation should be their best since they reached the playoffs in 2015. If you want to build a case for the Pirates as this year’s surprise team, it starts with Skenes, Jones, and Chandler making 70 starts with a 3.00 FIP, and the rotation as a whole being a top-five unit.
