Jacob Stallings Proving He Can Handle Everyday Catching Duties
At the beginning of the 2020 season, a look at the Pirates lineup looked good but saw some gaping holes. The top six of Frazier, Newman, Reynolds, Bell, Polanco, and Moran looked good, but it was the bottom of the lineup many were worried about. However, one of the guys at the bottom of that lineup has shown that he can outshine even those first six batters in a 60 game season. Jacob Stallings has been one of the Pirate's most consistent hitters this season and came through once again in last night's 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. He capped off the night by lifting his first career walk-off home run into the left-field seats to give the Pirates their 16th win of the season.
It wasn't just that one game that Stallings has shown success in, it has been for most of the 2020 season. In 115 at-bats this season, Stallings is hitting .252 with three home runs and 18 RBI. His .252 batting average is tied for second on the team behind rookie Ke'Bryan Hayes and he is tied for third on the team in RBI. We all knew that Stallings's defensive game was good, but the offense has been a pleasant surprise from the 30-year-old. At a time where the Pirates organization is hungry for catching depth, Stallings is beginning to prove that he can be the guy to bridge the gap between the here and now and the future of the catching position.
Defense Leads the Charge
Entering the 2020 season, the one thing that no one was questioning about Jacob Stallings was his ability behind the plate. Stallings has been highly praised by all the pitchers he has worked with and has been regarded as one of the best pitch framers in the league. However, he has taken that play to an all-new level in 2020 and could be in the running for a Gold Glove award. Stallings has logged 318.2 innings behind the plate this season and has committed just four errors for a .989 fielding percentage. Two of the areas where Stallings has really excelled this season is cutting down would-be base runners, and pitch framing as he has helped bail Pirates pitchers out of several jams this season.
One of Stallings's biggest surprises defensively this season has been his ability to throw out would-be base runners. Stallings has cut down 39.1% of potential base stealers this season (9-23). It is just shy of his career-high so far in his young career, with his career-high coming last season when he caught 40.1% (8-20) of would-be base runners. He has helped turn two-strike them out throw them out double plays this season and is showing he has a strong arm behind the plate. Runners are starting to learn not to run on Stallings as through 39 games played, only 23 people have tried to steal against Stallings. His pop time is one of the biggest factors in Stallings's success throwing out base runners as he gets the ball to second base in just over two seconds and to third base in about 1.6 seconds.
Despite his success at cutting down base runners, the thing that Stallings is most known for is his ability to frame pitches. He is back to doing that on a consistent basis this season with a strike rate of 49.9% and a Runs Extra Strikes of three. Stallings's strike rate ranks fourth in all of Major League Baseball, behind the Brewers Omar Narvaez, the Phillies JT Realmuto, and the White Sox Yasmani Grandal. He also ranks second in the league in Runs Extra Strikes tied with Realmuto and Grandal. Stallings has been most effective on the corners and in the bottom of the strike zone, with his best strike percentage coming on pitches on the right side of the strike zone with a strike percentage of 65.6%.
Stallings The Catcher The Pirates Need
With the Pirates organization yearning for some catching depth, Stallings's success comes at a perfect time. The next closest catching prospect to the Major Leagues is Christian Kelley with not much in the wings behind him. Stallings may need to be the man for a couple of years while the farm system replenishes and he is proving that he is more than capable of handling the responsibility. If he continues to keep his getting average between the .250 - .270 mark while playing solid defense, that is a more than quality Major League catcher. It can also help the transition of some of Pittsburgh's current catching prospects with guys like Christian Kelley and Jason Delay given the opportunity to be back-ups while they develop.
For Stallings, it is the start of a Major League career that was proceeded by a long journey through the Minor Leagues. He was drafted by the Pirates in the seventh round of the 2012 draft and has had to battle through every level of the Minor Leagues. He started his career in 2017 as a fill-in catcher when Francisco Cervelli was hurt and has turned into the team's starting catcher in three seasons. He is a guy who is loved by all the pitchers he has worked with, and his bat is beginning to come around in his second full season in the Major Leagues. With Stallings's defensive ability, it could be a year capped off with a Gold Glove Award nomination.
Stallings and the Pittsburgh Pirates (16-39) look to take a series lead against the Chicago Cubs (32-23) tonight with first pitch at 7:05 pm. Trevor Williams (1-8, 6.70) looks to end a disappointing season on a high note for the Pirates as he takes on Kyle Hendricks (6-4, 2.93) for the Cubs. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet and out of market on MLB Network. You can also listen to 93.7 The Fan as the Pirates look to stall the Cubs run at the National League Central title.
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