Pittsburgh Pirates Three Things to Watch: How Will the Offense Perform?
Opening Day is just three days away when the Pittsburgh Pirates get set to take on the Chicago Cubs on April 1st. For this young Pirates team, anticipation is building as the players and coaches are ready to take the field. Expectations might not be very high this year, but the fact that we get to see a 162-game season in itself has fans across the league ready to roll. However, with a young team like the Pirates, there are always some questions that need answered. Over the next couple of days, we will highlight the three things to watch as the team heads into 2021. We will focus on every aspect of the team and get you ready with everything you need to know before April 1st.
Today, we focus on the young offense, who will be relied on to score runs and support their pitching staff. Last season, the Pirates offense was among the worst in the Major Leagues at scoring runs, but so far this spring they have been able to turn things around and show some spark. Entering play on Monday, the Pirates were tied for the fourth-highest batting average in Spring Training (.265) and are in the top 10 in runs scored this spring with 131. They also have Kevin Newman, who is hitting a ridiculous .741 this spring and is about to set the new MLB record for highest spring training batting average. There are some questions surrounding the offense during a full season, but at least early on, they are showing signs of rebounding from a down 2020 season.
Where is the Power Coming From?
The biggest question I am seeing from fans regarding the offense is where is the power coming from? After the Pirates lost their premier power hitter Josh Bell this off-season, that question has become a valid point. However, despite the lack of big-name power hitters, this team has still done a decent job of putting the ball over the wall. Entering play on Monday, the Pirates were tied for 16th in Major League Baseball with 27 home runs. While you probably aren't going to see a lot of the players hitting 30+ home runs, I am looking at the wealth to be spread out throughout the lineup. If four or five guys can hit between 15-20 home runs, that will more than makeup for the loss of Bell this off-season.
The leader of the power department, however, looks to be new Pirates' first baseman, Colin Moran. Moran was the only Pirates player to hit double-digit home runs in the shortened season and finished the year with 10 in 52 games played. While that projects to 31 home runs over the course of a full season, I don't see Moran getting to that number. However, Moran could be a guy who can give you 20-25 home runs and be the Pirates leader from the clean-up spot. So dar this spring, Moran has hit .235 with two home runs and six RBI over 34 at-bats. However, he has been thriving and finding the gaps on a regular basis, with four of his eight hits this spring going for extra bases. If he can do that with people on base, his run production is set for a big jump in 2021.
However, aside from Moran who are we looking at for the home run pop at the plate. Honestly, it should be a combination of players, but the two others to watch this year are Bryan Reynolds and Ke'Bryan Hayes. Reynolds has shown the ability to hit between 15-20 home runs as during his rookie year he hit .314 with 16 home runs and 68 RBI. Even though his batting average was down last season, look for a bounce-back as he has hit over .300 at every level of professional baseball. As for Ke'Bryan Hayes, power hasn't really been his forte, but he did show some pop in his debut last season. In 24 Big League games, Hayes hit five home runs, giving him a full-season projection of 33 home runs. Power has never been his go-to, with his career-high being 10 home runs in the Minor Leagues, but if he can keep the pop going, it could be a big addition to the top of the Pirates lineup.
Hit The Gaps
While home runs are nice, the real key to the Pirate's success this season is going to be their ability to hit the gaps. With the spacious gaps at PNC Park, balls that rattle around in the gaps can be a nightmare for opposing teams. This is especially true when players send balls flying to the 410 sign in the left-center field notch. This will be especially important for the guys at the top of the lineup as they try to set up run-scoring opportunities for the guys in the middle of the order. With the entire offense essentially struggling last season, they never really had those guys on base to help the middle of the lineup drive in runs. Those two guys who will be featured at the top of the lineup throughout the season have also been the ones performing the best this spring.
Leading the way for the Pirates so far in Spring Training 2021 has been infielder Kevin Newman. In 28 Spring Training at-bats, Newman is hitting .714 (20-28) with four RBI through 11 Spring Training games. He is on pace to break the MLB record for the highest batting average in Spring Training in MLB history, and his 20 hits currently leads the MLB. However, the most impressive stat of them all is he has yet to strikeout in his first 11 Spring Training games and has drawn five walks. The key for Newman is to be able to carry this success with him into the regular season. Newman had a down year in 2020 but has shown he can hit the ball consistently in the past with a .308 batting average during his rookie season. The Pirates are hoping he can get back to 2021 form, and be a leader at the top of the Pirates lineup.
Speaking of a guy who had a down year offensively, Adam Frazier is looking for a bounce-back as well at the plate. While his average isn't nearly as high as Newman's, he is still hitting a respectable .553 this spring with two home runs and eight RBI. Frazier possesses a little more power than Newman does, so he may play better in the middle of the Pirate's order as a six-hitter rather than a top-of-the-order bat. When he was struggling last season, the Pirates moved him down to that sixth spot for a couple of games and he did well hitting .429 with a home run and two RBI. The Pirates need a player who can come through once the middle of the order has passed, and Frazier could be the guy towards the bottom of the order that gives opposing teams fits. The two middle infielders are interchangeable in the Pirates lineup, but both play an important role in setting the table and hitting the gaps for the Pirates.
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