One Year Older, Infielders Look to Lead 2020 Pirates

  

Entering 2020, the Pittsburgh Pirates Infielders are one of the most intriguing groups on the field. Each is coming into their prime and looking for a breakout season in 2020.

One of the most exciting position groups on the field for the Pittsburgh Pirates is their infielders. All four starters have shown flashes of greatness and 2020 is the year for them to put it all together. Whether it be veteran first baseman Josh Bell or second-year player Kevin Newman, each proved they can play everyday and be successful.

Leading the group is Josh Bell who had a breakout 2020 season in every major statistical category. In 143 games Bell set new career highs hitting .277 with 37 home runs and 116 RBI. It was a historic start to the season for Bell who in the first two months of the season hit 22 of his 37 home runs while batting .346.

However, things went off the deep end for Bell in June when he hit just .208 and was never able to get back to form. Despite the slump, Bell earned his first All-Star game selection and became a true clean-up hitter that the Pirates have desperately needed over the last several seasons.

The thing that has been questioned throughout Bell's career is his defensive ability at First Base. Bell committed 13 errors in 1090 chances in 2019 for a .988 fielding percentage. However, Bell has worked on a new arm angle this off-season and if that helps boost his defensive ability even a little bit, it will up his value moving forward.

While Bell anchors the defense, one of its rising stars has been short stop Kevin Newman. Newman came into the 2019 season having to battle for a spot on the Major League roster. He cracked the opening day roster as a back-up infielder but injuries put him as the starting shortstop and he ran with his opportunity.

He finished the season with a .308 average while hitting 12 home runs and driving in 64 runs. While Bell filled the number four spot in the lineup, Newman secured his spot on top of the batting order consistently hitting for a high average. He hit .308 from the leadoff spot giving the Pirates a reliable option atop the batting order.

However, a good shortstop is the anchor of the defense and this is an aspect of the game that Newman will look to improve in 2020. The Pirates shortstop had a .973 fielding percentage a year ago committing ten errors in 842.1 innings at shortstop. If Newman can prove himself on defense, he should be a staple at shortstop for Pittsburgh for many years to come.

Newman's double play partner had a sneaky good season as Adam Frazier emerged as one of the top second baseman in the National League. He was a finalist for a 2019 Gold Glove award and anchored the middle infield defense. He played 1180.2 innings at second base turning 555 double plays and committing just six errors.

Frazier sported the third highest fielding percentage in Major League Baseball last season behind Atlanta's Ozzie Albies and Cleveland's Jason Kipnis. With his defense on the rise his offense becomes more valuable.

Frazier's 2019 season was a typical Adam Frazier campaign. He hit .278 with ten home runs and 50 RBI and all three numbers are right on par with his career numbers. Frazier lost his spot as the Pirates leadoff hitter after the emergence of Newman but his .270 average fits in nicely at the bottom half of the Pirates lineup.

Rounding out the Pirates Infielders is Colin Moran who has shown promise offensively but his defense has proved to be a liability at the hot corner. The 27-Year Old almost duplicated his 2018 numbers last season when he hit .277 with 13 home runs and 80 RBI. It was a career-year for Moran in terms of production, setting new highs in home runs and RBI, and his .277 average is right around league average.

The defensive side of the ball offers much worse numbers for Moran who sported just a .938 fielding percentage at the hot corner committing 14 errors. These defensive errors has been Moran's downfall and if those numbers are repeated we could see Ke'Bryan Hayes manning the position before season's end.

Overall, I am looking for a lot of growth from the Pirates infielders. Bell, Frazier, and Newman all look to continue their upward trend while Moran is trying to hold down his spot. Look for Jose Osuna and Moran to split time at the hot corner and, if the Pirates fall out of playoff contention, Hayes could be in Pittsburgh by August.

With Grapefruit League action just three days away, Pirates players and coaches are getting ready for 2020. They open the spring schedule against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday at 1:05 p.m.