It was one of the underrated developments of the 2022 season. Amid another 100-loss campaign, the Pirates began to see the makings of a fairly strong rotation.
Mitch Keller figured it out. Roansy Contreras emerged. Luis Ortiz seemingly came out of nowhere, pumping gas. Johan Oviedo was a solid trade pickup, and JT Brubaker produced plenty of palatable numbers — a 3.92 FIP and 147 strikeouts in 144 innings.
Still, it's not enough.