BRADENTON, Fla. — After starting the season with the best record in the National League through April and finishing the final two months with a winning record, the Pittsburgh Pirates will enter spring training with raised expectations.

No longer are the Pirates talking about a rebuild but rather the chance to become contenders as a young core comes of age and holes are being plugged by proven veterans instead of a patchwork of prospects.

“Last year when we got to camp, we were still fairly young, but it was a lot more, ‘We’re here to win,’” Gold Glove third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes said. “We’re not doing tryout things anymore, just kind of seeing. We know what we can do, especially with how we started last year.”

The Pirates won 76 games in 2023 — a 14-win jump from the previous season — yet improving upon a fourth-place finish in the NL Central this season will require an even greater step, one that starts at Pirate City.

“Our goal is to play playoff games in October, whether that’s winning the Central — which is definitely the goal — or being a playoff-caliber team, that’s something we are striving for,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said last month at PiratesFest. “I will be very clear in our first message in Bradenton … that we should be thinking about that every day. I guarantee that every member of our staff and every player will have that goal on their mind going into the ’24 season.”

Here are five storylines to follow this spring:

1. Is Oneil Cruz ready to return?: The 6-foot-7 shortstop is an anomaly at his position with a unique combination of size, speed, arm strength and power that smashes Statcast records.

After hitting 17 homers with 10 stolen bases in 87 games as a rookie in 2022, Cruz showed no shortage of confidence when he vowed last spring to join the exclusive 40-40 club for home runs and stolen bases.

Instead, Cruz fractured his left ankle on an awkward slide into home plate in early April and was lost for the season. It was a devastating blow for the Pirates, who struggled to replace him in the field and atop the batting order.

Now, the Pirates are counting on the 25-year-old Cruz to return to the form that had him on pace to hit 30 homers and 100 RBIs over a full season and live up to his tremendous hype. That starts with proving he hasn’t lost his lateral agility at shortstop and that his error-prone ways don’t continue.

2. Rounding out the rotation: With only three proven starters in All-Star right-hander Mitch Keller and veteran lefties Marco Gonzales and Martin Perez, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington could seek to add another starter.

There are reports that they are pursuing Domingo German, who pitched the 24th perfect game in baseball history for the New York Yankees last June but battled alcohol abuse.

They could take a chance on 2020 AL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer, who served a 194-game suspension for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy.

Or the Pirates could rely on young right-handers Roansy Contreras, Luis Ortiz and Quinn Priester and a bullpen boosted by the signing of seven-time All-Star Aroldis Chapman.

3. All eyes on No. 1 picks: The Pirates had the first overall pick in the MLB Draft twice in a three-year span, and both selections will be in camp and working together for the first time.

After playing primarily in right field as a rookie, Henry Davis will get his first crack at catcher in the majors.

The Pirates want his power bat in the lineup and hope the 2021 top pick can continue to improve behind the plate. Davis spent the offseason working with right-hander Paul Skenes, the 2023 first overall choice.

Skenes only pitched 6 2/3 innings in the minors last season, so Grapefruit League play will be his first opportunity to see how he fares against major-league hitters.

4. Notable newcomers: In case Davis isn’t ready to catch, the Pirates signed an insurance policy in 12-year veteran Yasmani Grandal to compete with Jason Delay to be the starting backstop.

The addition of lefty flamethrower Chapman complements two-time All-Star closer David Bednar and allows the Pirates to tinker with the bullpen roles of their younger relievers.

Rowdy Tellez was signed to play first base, where the lefty slugger who hit 35 homers in 2022 could platoon with right-handed hitters Connor Joe and Jared Triolo.

The Pirates also traded for Billy McKinney and Edward Olivares and signed Gilberto Celestino to add depth to the outfield, where Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski return as starters.

5. Position competition: Aside from the two spots in the rotation, there are potential spots open in the starting lineup.

The biggest battle could be at second base, where Ji Hwan Bae returns but could face a challenge from Nick Gonzales, Liover Peguero and Triolo.

With multiple players fighting for the same position, someone will lose out. All three have minor-league options remaining.

Of course, Bae also could play center field.

That would make for a crowded outfield, depending on whether Davis sticks at catcher and Joe at first base. The fight for the fourth outfield spot could involve Bae, Celestino, Davis, Joe, McKinney, Olivares and Joshua Palacios.

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