Deep Impact!

I am not talking about the absolutely fantastic movie staring, Morgan Freeman, no this deep impact is about which Pirates player is going to have the most positive impact in 2010? I am going to rule out two of the more obvious choices in Garrett Jones and Andrew McCutchen, since I am pretty sure most people would vote for them. So let’s take a look at the nominees:

3B – Andy LaRoche: After a very weak start to the 2009 season, Andy really came on strong towards the end of the season, and many people think he is finally clicking at the Major League level. It remains to be seen if he can sustain success for an entire season, but many are optimistic about Andy’s future.

LF – Lastings Milledge: A lot of fans were pretty upset when fan favorite Nyjer Morgan was traded and replaced by a guy many perceived as a “head case” but Lastings really did good work for the Pirates in his brief time in the city. There has also been a lot of talk that he’s finally grown up and is ready to be a mature ballplayer. There’s no questioning his talent, but can Lastings keep his head on straight for an entire season?

2B - Akinori Iwamura: Many fans are very excited about having Aki in the line-up for 2010 as he has shown to be a very good ballplayer. He did very good work during his time in Tampa Bay and many are hopeful that he’ll bring the same strong work ethic to the Pirates that he brought to the Rays.

1B – Jeff Clement: Clement is a big question mark entering 2010 and many fans do not know if he is going to be a solid 1B for the Pirates. He hasn’t had a lot of exposure to MLB pitching, but he’s looked okay in his brief runs in the Big Leagues before. He has potential, but right now that’s all he is.

SP - Ross Ohlendorf: The Pirates need their pitching staff to produce if they have any hope of winning in 2010, but other than Duke and Maholm, there aren’t any proven pitchers in the rotation. One that it seems many people are excited about is Ross Ohlendorf. He looked pretty solid in 2009 and right now, he’d be penciled in as the third starter.