Pittsburgh Pirates 2021 Previews: Phillip Evans
If you watched the Pittsburgh Pirates early in the season last year, there is no doubt you heard the name, Phillip Evans. The Pirates signed the former New York Mets product to a Minor League free agent deal last season and invited him to Big League Spring Training. He made a big impression on the coaches, hitting .333 with two home runs and nine RBI in 18 games, and ended up earning his first spot on an Opening Day roster. However, he would have to earn his playing time as a utility man like so many Pirates before him. He ended up playing right field, left field, third base, and first base for the Pirates and his bat kept him in the lineup. He hit .359 with a home run and nine RBI in his 11 game showing.
Now that he is fully recovered from surgery to repair his broken jaw, he is looking to once again make the Pirates opening day roster. His combination of power and contact ability made him an enticing option last season and, at 28-years-old, he still has room to grow on the diamond. With the Pirates in search of power, Evans could be that spark that the lineup needs. After last season, he has played six of the nine positions on the field, and if he hits well will once again find himself in the starting lineup consistently. 2020 was a roller coaster ride for Evans, but he is looking to continue his hot bat into the 2021 season.
From Break-out To Injury
Coming into Spring Training 2020, not much was expected of 27-year-old Phillip Evans. He wasn't on many fan's radar after struggling in the Mets organization and was seen as more of a warm body than an actual competitor. However, he won the hearts of fans and coaches hitting .333 with a home run and nine RBI, and earned a spot on the Pittsburgh Pirates bench for Opening Day. It didn't take long for Evans to make his presence felt as he hit .385 (5-13) with two RBI over his first four games of the season. After going 0-3 in his first game of the year, his breakout performance was when he went 3-4 with an RBI in the Pirate's first win of the season on July 26th against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Once the calendar turned to August, Evans was starting to play a bigger role, playing in six of the first seven games during the month. He continued his hot streak into August, starting the month out hitting .400 with two RBI over the first four games. He was filling in where he could, and he stayed in the lineup due to his hot bat. The thing that made Evans so valuable wasn't just the fact that he was hitting the ball, but that he was doing it in big situations for the team. He was one of the Pirate's best hitters with runners in scoring position, hitting .556 with a home run and eight RBI. He was also one of the team's best two-out hitters, batting at a .471 clip when the inning was coming to an end.
With his early-season performance, it looked as though Evans could be a mainstay in the Pirates lineup. That was until his jaw met Gregory Polanco's elbow in a game against the Detroit Tigers on August 8th, 2020. Both players were heading into foul territory in right field when Polanco collided with Evans knocking him unconscious. Evans would be carted off the field and it was determined that he suffered a concussion and a broken jaw and would be out for the season. He has spent the off-season recovering, and with so many moves with the Big League roster, he could begin to find regular playing time. His versatility is a plus, but his bat is what is beginning to make him a valuable asset in Pittsburgh.
Utility Man 2021
Even after his success in the early part of last season, Phillip Evans still has a lot to prove as he enters the 2021 season. He only played in 11 games for the Pirates last season, so he didn't have a chance to show he could have sustained success. In his other two Big League seasons, he hit .304 with the Mets in 2017 in 19 games and .148 with the Mets in 2018 over 15 games. With Josh Bell traded, he has a shot at platooning with Colin Moran at first base this season, which could give him that extended playing time that he has been looking for. He is the only other player on the current active roster who has experience at first base, and he has the offensive numbers to play there.
However, if he performs in the clutch the way he did last year, Shelton will have no choice but to find Evans a spot in the lineup. At the time of his injury last season, he was the team's leading hitter with runners in scoring position at .556, with eight of his nine RBI. With the Pirates not having Bell in the lineup, they are going to need someone to pick up the slack and drive in runs consistently. As the situation got bigger, Evans seemed to be more relaxed. His .471 batting average with two outs was the highest on the team, and seven of his nine RBI came with two outs. If the Pirates are going to compete this season, they need guys to come through in the clutch and Evans has shown he can be the guy to come through in the clutch.
Where, and how much, Evans plays in 2021 is going to totally depend on his offensive production. If he shows he can consistently hit the ball, manager Derek Shelton will find him a spot in the lineup. He has experience at second base, shortstop, third base, first base, and both corner outfield positions and can step in when someone is struggling. With Adam Frazier seemingly being almost traded every day, he could step in if a move happens there and man second base. However, if his numbers start to digress in 2021, he could find himself back on the free-agent market before you know it. 2021 is a big year for Evans as he proves he can be healthy and hit consistently at the Big League level.
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