You ask. I answer. It’s time for “Mailing It In,” a weekly Q&A that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. Most of the questions come via X, but you can also hit me up at jraystarkey@gmail.com. Let’s gooooooo …
BoomBoom0105, @BoomBoom0105: Who has a higher average on June 1 — Ozuna or KG?
Starkey: I’ll say Konnor Griffin, Dr. BoomBoom, but this leads to a larger question that I have been asked at least 50 times: Should the Pirates have brought back Andrew McCutchen as DH, left Marcell Ozuna on the market and saved $5 million or so for something else?
I’ll say no, for now, even though Ozuna DOES NOT HAVE AN RBI.
How is that possible?
Ozuna’s slump has been positively biblical to open his Pirates tenure: 3 for 43 (.070) with zero extra-base hits. And did I mention he DOES NOT HAVE AN RBI?
It truly is incredible. But even though McCutchen got off to a hot start, he hasn’t exactly been Willie Mays, either. He’s batting .083 in April and .261 overall with four RBIS (did I mention Ozuna has none?) in 23 at-bats.
This story is yet to be written. Ozuna has survived other prodigious slumps. By the end of April in 2023, he was 5 for 59 in Atlanta. He wound up hitting 40 home runs.
Granted, he is three years older now, and coming off a down season marred by a nagging hip injury. There is no guarantee he fully snaps out of this. But I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I’m going to say that by the All-Star break, his numbers will be better than McCutchen’s. Amazingly, he doesn’t have that far to go.
Burke O’Toole, @BurkeMan513: What is the bar for a successful Pirates season this year? Wild card? NL Central title? Playoff series win?
Starkey: Great question. I’m tempted to say playoffs, Dr. 513, and that really should be the bar. The only exception would be something like an 88-win season where they fall just short. It’d be hard to call that a failure.
Josh Howard, @jhow2687: Have we seen someone rise from the ashes as quickly as Bob Nutting has? He couldn’t walk amongst the fans last year and now he’s on the field pre-game signing autographs. Wild to think how he was one of, if not the most hated man in Pittsburgh sports to where he’s at right now.
Starkey: Incredible what spending a little money and winning a few games will do, isn’t it, Dr. Howard?
I still don’t think Nutting is going to win any popularity contests, but it is pretty amazing to compare the beginning of this season to the beginning of last season, when fan rage hit an all-time high, starting with the airplane flying over the ballpark at the home opener, urging Nutting to sell the team.
He is now fulfilling his job description, which is the least he can do. And people are pleased.
Donald Hilenbrant, @Hildebeest24: What do you think you would realistically shoot at Augusta National in Masters conditions?
Starkey: I put way too much thought into this question, Dr. 24, and if you’re asking me to play from the back tees, it’s gonna get real ugly. I’ll say somewhere between 160-180. If I broke 150, I’d celebrate like Rory on No. 18!
Patrick Roberts, @Patrick42655570: In light of Tomlin’s departure, who is the Steelers GM? Is it Khan, McCarthy or Art?
Starkey: I believe this is now Omar Khan’s show to run, Dr. 42655570. It is his chance to put his stamp on the organization, and I believe his first big move was hiring his old friend Mike McCarthy.
Obviously, Art Rooney II has final say on everything, but now that Mike Tomlin is out of the picture, this is Khan’s show. If the McCarthy hire works, he should get the credit.
Mike Shea, @MikeShea1113131: Greetings Savvy News Hound. Is this a true Pirates contending team? Also what’s your favorite parmesan: chicken, veal or eggplant?
Starkey:I just wrote today at triblive.com that the Pirates will spend zero more days under .500 this season, Dr. 11133131, so yes, I believe they are a contending team.
Some huge reasons for that are Oneil Cruz, newcomers Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn and the rise of Braxton Ashcraft complementing Paul Skenes the way he has.
I think this is a good team. I’m sticking with 86 wins.
Burghie, @houseofburgh412: Joe, if the Arizona Cardinals called the Steelers come pick 21 and offered you next year’s first round pick and a Day 2 pick in return for pick 21 so they can take Simpson would you do it? (Assume the big names are off the board such as Ionae, and the top-3 wideouts)
Starkey: Of course I do! Next year’s first-round pick for the Cardinals could be quite the premium pick. I’m not sure how realistic this scenario is, but yes, I’d do it in a second.
The noise around Ty Simpson and the Cardinals is getting louder, by the way, but it’s possible and maybe more likely that they will trade back from No. 3 and pick him at, say, No. 20.
Perry Rotolo, @pjroto: Here’s your headline: “Meet Pittsburgh’s Teen Phenoms” or “The Teens who saved Pittsburgh Sports.” Now you write the story! Picture of Kindel and Griffin on the front page a la the Bradshaw and Stargell picture on cover of SI. Do I get a byline?
Starkey: I like the way you think, Dr. O, and yes you get a byline. Now the Steelers need a young star quarterback.
Ed Helinski, @MrEd315: What are your impressions of the Pirates so far? And have they surprised you?
Starkey: Not really, Mr. Ed, considering I had them at 86 wins. But I am surprised by Cruz hitting lefties and taking far more professional at-bats than we have seen from him.
In fact, Don Kelly called Cruz’s bases-loaded walk last night the most professional at-bat he has ever seen him take.
It’s not a great defensive team, but I’ll take offense over defense every time. I remember asking Bob Walk his opinion on that from when he was pitching: Would he rather have a great defense behind him or a great hitting team?
He said he’d take the run support.
I don’t love the Pirates bullpen at the moment, and there are some dead spots in the lineup, but my first impressions are mostly positive.
Ron Edward, @RonaldEdward24: Could these Buccos finally be the real deal or is it just the same old script where they look really good early on?
Starkey: This seems to be the question of the day, Dr. Edward, and I’m going to answer it the same way every time: I do believe this is a legitimately good baseball team.
If Griffin and Ozuna get hot — and there is plenty of time for that — it could become something more than that. One concern is starting pitching depth. I think Ben Cherington needs to go out and get a dependable lefty starter.
J P, @JoeyPicksIt: Hi Joe. Do you think Babe Ruth could get a hit off of Paul Skenes? I believe that he wouldn’t even make contact if you gave him 50 at-bats.
Starkey: You are wrong, Dr. Picks. Or at least I think you are. Rob Neyer of ESPN used a study to estimate that the best pitchers threw really hard a long time ago, too (although I don’t know if any had a splinker).
SFI, @SFI412724: What do you think will be the biggest difference you notice in the Mike McCarthy-led Pittsburgh Steelers compared to the previous version of the Steelers led by Mike Tomlin?
Starkey: Hopefully a more explosive passing game, Dr. SFI, but is Aaron Rodgers going to be up to that (assuming he returns)? I’m not so sure. Last year’s passing game often looked like late-stage Ben Roethlisberger, with the quick release times and the short distances (often behind the line of scrimmage with Rodgers).
It’s easy to say that needs to change. We’ll see if it does.
Chris Barron, @ChrisRBarron: Joe, first off condolences on the loss of your dog — dogs are the best. My question is… can the Pirates save us from caring about what the Steelers do this year??? Over the last few weeks I have basically forgotten about the Rodgers drama thanks to the Bucs!
Starkey: Thank you for the condolences, Dr. Barron. I never knew how much a dog could mean. I’m devastated still and likely will be for a long time about losing Bailey.
As for Rodgers, it doesn’t even seem like a “drama” anymore. I don’t talk about it much on the radio anymore or even think about it much. I’m assuming that, like last year, the Steelers know he is going to sign and for whatever reason he is delaying the move.
I don’t care.
And yes, the Pirates and Penguins are stealing the spotlight, for sure.
David Reese, @davidreese36: What sporting event result had you most overjoyed and what sporting event crushed you the most. … On a side note I did my annual college football helmet bracket and my final four was Tennessee, UCLA, Michigan and of course PITT.
Starkey:
Overjoyed: Bills 51, Raiders 3
Crushed: Giants 20, Bills 19
Absolutely love the helmet draft — and those are incrinculent choices.