Joe Musgrove taking next step as anchor of Pirates pitching staff, eyes Opening Day start

Joe Musgrove started his second training camp the same way he ended the first in mid-March, with the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander taking the mound to throw a five-inning simulated game.

That was where the similarities ended, as the Pirates opened their summer camp Friday at PNC Park instead of LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla., after a nearly four-month shutdown of the sport. Musgrove found some humor in the irony that he not only picked up right where he left off but felt even better than before.

“It feels great for me, man. I mean, where I feel now with five innings compared to where I felt two and a half months ago at five innings is a night-and-day difference,” Musgrove said on a Zoom conference call from PNC Park, which was closed to the media. “It’s just kind of funny or ironic that my last one was five and this one’s five, but when I look at it, man, I look at the progress that I’ve made in the last two and a half months – not only physically but mentally, knowing my adjustments and knowing when to slow myself down, knowing when to speed myself up.

“Those are all things that I really gained a good grasp of over this downtime. So it was good for me to go out at five and come in at five and feel the difference between the two outings.”

That isn’t the only difference since the spring. The Pirates lost a projected top-of-the-rotation starter for the season when Chris Archer underwent neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last month, making Musgrove the default ace of the pitching staff and likely Opening Day starter.

After going 11-12 with a 4.44 ERA and 1.22 WHIP last season – the most victories and lowest ERA of any Pirates starting pitcher and reaching career highs of 170 1/3 innings and 31 starts – Musgrove would love the chance to start the first game of a 60-game MLB season shortened by the coronavirus pandemic.

Although Musgrove abides by the mantra that he approaches every game he takes the mound as if he’s the ace, whether that’s as the No.1 or No. 5 starter, he makes it no secret that he wants to be one of the 30 pitchers with the honor of being named an Opening Day starter.

“Yeah, man, I’d love that spot,” Musgrove said. “I tell everybody who asks me that question, the opening day starter is a nice acknowledgement from your manager and from the rest of the staff to know that you’re the guy that they want out there on the first day. …

“It doesn’t really matter to me where I fall in the rotation. It would be nice to have that Opening Day start, just to say that I got recognized as one of the opening day starters among the 30 teams. That would be pretty cool.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Musgrove “looked sharp” in throwing 75 pitches under the watchful eyes of new pitching coach Oscar Marin and bullpen coach Justin Meccage. But Shelton isn’t ready to name his Opening Day starting pitcher (or lineup, for that matter).

What Shelton did acknowledge is that Musgrove has “very much so” become an anchor of the starting rotation and embraced a leadership role, both on and off the field. That starts with Musgrove setting the example by wearing a mask anytime he wasn’t on the mound and making sure teammates followed health and safety protocols.

“He’s the first guy when we’re having conversations about making sure we take care of ourselves at the ballpark and away from the ballpark,” Shelton said. “I definitely think he is going to step into that role on the mound and also in the clubhouse. That’s important. He has the traits and abilities to lead, players look to him to do that. I’m excited he’s taking that next step in his development.”

Shortstop Kevin Newman said the Pirates have “full faith” that Musgrove can evolve into the staff ace, especially with Archer and Jameson Taillon (Tommy John surgery) out for the season, a belief reinforced by Musgrove getting off to a strong start on the first day of training camp.

“Joe is a workhorse. He’s a team leader, just a great guy to lead that staff and this team,” Newman said. “He’s a guy that we all want to rally behind and get behind and go out and play for. I have full confidence in him.”