What To Expect As The Pirates Gear Up For Spring Training Games
The full squad is in camp, and now it is time to start warming up for the grind of the 2021 season. The Pittsburgh Pirates kick-off their 2021 Grapefruit League schedule tomorrow afternoon when they take on the Baltimore Orioles at 1:05 pm. It is the first chance for the Pirates to play someone in a different jersey, and even though it is just a warm-up it is the first signs that baseball is truly back. For the veterans, it is a chance to tune things up before the season, and for the young guys, it is a chance to prove what they have against Big League competition. With 71 players in camp between the 40-man roster and non-roster invitees and no split-squad games this year, there will be a lot of competition for playing time in camp.
Competition is a good thing for a rebuilding club as manager Derek Shelton and his staff will get a good look at all these players have to offer. A good showing could fast-track you to the Major Leagues one day, while a slip-up can have you sent down the depth chart. This Spring Training may be a little different than ones past with all the COVID-19 regulations, but the goal remains the same, improve and get ready for the upcoming season. For the Pirates, that means introducing their young guys to Big League competition while preparing the guys currently on the team for the season. Today, we look at what to expect as the Pirates embark on this journey through their 2021 Spring Training schedule.
Development in Competition
The biggest thing to expect from the 2021 Spring Training schedule is the development of the Pirate's young guys and prospects. Throughout the year we will get to see guys like Bryan Reynolds, Gregory Polanco, and Mitch Keller, so I expect to see a lot of the young guys and prospects get time. Especially in these early games, it is crucial that these guys get on the field and familiarity themselves with the speed of a Big League game. With top prospects like Nick Gonzales (#1), Quinn Priester (#4), and Oneil Cruz (#3) all in camp, the Pirates have a lot of young talent to put on display. Through these first couple of games, these will more than likely be the guys you see for the majority of the games.
One of the young guys that have been making waves in Big League camp is right-handed Quinn Priester. Priester had a good showing in his first year of pro baseball, going 1-1 with a 3.19 over the course of nine games, eight starts, between Rookie Ball and Triple-A. He struck out just over 26% of the batters he faced at the two levels while walking just 7.1%. This is his first Big League camp with the team, and after showing promise at the alternate site last season, he is gaining high praise not just from the Pirates but from scouts around the league. Preister leads a slew of young pitching prospects in camp this year including Braeden Ogle and Cody Bolton.
On the offensive side, all eyes will be on 2020 first-round draft pick Nick Gonzales, who worked at the alternate training site last season. Gonzales was a standout hitter at New Mexico State and in the Cape Cod League, but the level of competition he went against has been called into question. He hit .448 during his COVID-19 shortened senior year at New Mexico State and won the Cape Cod League MVP the year before that hitting .351 with seven home runs and 33 RBI. Now, he gets a chance to work in Big League camp with fellow top prospects Travis Swaggerty (#7) and Liover Peguero (#5). These guys are the future of the Pirates, and a strong showing could springboard this team into the future.
Veteran Leadership
Besides seeing the youth of this team develop, one thing the Pirates will be looking for is who will be the leaders of this team. That doesn't necessarily mean the guys with the most experience, but the team has to find out who its leaders in the clubhouse are. One obvious choice is the oldest guy in camp, 35-year-old Todd Frazier. Frazier was signed to a Minor League contract this off-season after spending 2020 with the Texas Rangers and New York Mets. He combined to hit .236 with four home runs and 12 RBI over 157 at-bats with an OPS of .684. He has been with the Pirates for just a week and has already made an impact, saying on a Zoom interview the Ke'Bryan Hayes is going to be a "stud."
Frazier has made his rounds this Spring bringing his knowledge and sense of humor to Pirates camp. The guys joining Frazier as leaders on this team are two other young guys, Bryan Reynolds and Mitch Keller. Reynolds is coming off of a down year but is looking for a bounce-back as he has done throughout his career. He has hit .300 or better at every level of professional baseball, including hitting .314 with 16 home runs and 68 RBI during his rookie year. 2020 was a big year for Reynolds as he became a dad, and now he is looking to focus on performing for the Pirates and getting back to being that .300 hitter that he has been throughout his career.
On the pitching side, it is Mitch Keller who will lead the team as the ace of the staff. His first two years in the MLB have been interesting as he had a combination of ineffectiveness and injuries hold him down. Last season, he was only able to make five starts because of a left oblique strain. However, when he was on the mound, Keller looked good going 1-1 with a 2.91 ERA. According to Pirates Insider Jason Mackey, Keller is carrying himself differently in this year's camp and his stuff looks a lot nastier. With the departure of two of the Pirate's top pitchers this off-season, the Pirates need one of their starters to step up, and Mitch Keller might be the guy to do it.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (0-0) kick off their Grapefruit League schedule tomorrow when they take on the Baltimore Orioles (0-0) at 1:05 pm. Chad Kuhl (0-0) will take the mound for the Pirates making his first start of the spring against Thomas Eshelman (0-0) for the Orioles. The game can be heard on 93.7 The Fan or you can follow along by following us on Twitter at @Buccos_Cove.
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