Tale of Two Superstars

When it comes to the Pittsburgh Pirates, unless you are a true fan, you only know McCutchen.  Some might not even know that his first name is Andrew.  Why wouldn't you know who "Cutch" is?  He is hitting .369, has 20+ HRs, leads the team in RBIs and has gold glove type fielding skills to boot.  With all of that skill, no wonder the average "Non-Pittsburgh" baseball fan doesn't know anyone else on the team. 

The unfortunate thing about that is that all the other players on the Pirates' club are being overlooked.  McCutchen doesn't seem like a guy who constantly demands attention (he actually seems rather shy and quiet when interviewed), but the way he plays along with the hair sticking out of the batting helmet and hat make him an immediate media magnet.  What people need to realize is that this team doesn't just have one superstar, but two. 

The other being hometown boy Neil Walker.  Walker is having his best season to date and his numbers are very respectable.  He is batting .290 with 10 HRs and 48 RBIs and has scored 50 Runs.  He is a switch hitting player who also plays a magnificent second base.  He is fielding .992 and has turned 62 double plays, and has only registered 4 errors in 100 games.  Comparing his stats to last season, he is batting almost .020 better than a season ago with almost identical fielding statistics.  This year he has taken a leadership role on the team and has become a huge part of this successful Pirates team. 

I figured it was time that Neil Walker got some attention as he has been "mashing" the ball on this recent road trip to Houston.  At his age, Neil Walker will most likely be a Pirate for a long long time, but you can only think it will get better.  Its a nice problem to have when you have 2 superstars on one baseball team...THAT hasn't happened since Bonds and Bonilla roamed the outfield for the Buccos.  The more Walker hits, and the better he plays all together, the more national media attention he will get. 

There are plenty of players on this team that have been HUGE parts of their success after 100 games, but its these 2 that I feel couldn't be replaced if something were to happen.  They bring alot of production, leadership, and skill to the lineup night in and out.  Lets just hope the production continues!