I was at the game today, the home opener for the Cubs. This is an impressive Pirates team. They play really hard, with a lot of focus and energy. I think they overwhelmed the Cubs with their intensity and aggression.
You could see it during BP. The Cubs sort of went through the motions, shagging flies, taking lazy cuts in the batting cage. The Pirates went through their drills and time in the cage with military precision, really going at it. Omar Moreno was hitting hard grounders at all the Pirates infielders, no joking around.
Clint Hurdle challenging a play in the very first inning, and then Josh Bell scoring from 2nd on a single, showed that the Pirates are for real.
I don't know the inside-homer reasons for why Gerritt Cole did not work out, but the only thing holding the Pirates back is that one front-line/shutdown starter to anchor the team.
As a Cubs homer, I thought Milwaukee was the biggest threat, but now no one is looking past the Pirates.