Pittsburgh Pirates Three Things to Watch: Will The Defense Improve?
If there is one part of their game that the Pittsburgh Pirates need to improve upon, it is their defensive game. Without good defense, you are allowing a lot of free base runners, and that puts your pitchers in a tough situation as they have to work out of jams. As a team, the Pirates ranked 29th in fielding percentage last season (.978), just one point higher than the Need York Yankees, and committed the second-most errors of any team (47), again just one more error than the New York Yankees. It was a combination of bad routes and bad decision-making that led the Pirates to be one of the worst fielding teams, and it is something that cannot happen again in 2021.
That is why coming into camp this year, Manager Derek Shelton made it a point of emphasis for his team to get better defensively. They have gone back to basics and are using new technology not used by the previous regime. Players have raved about this new technology from the pitching side of things, and now the fielders are reaping the benefits as well. The Pirates had two Gold Glove nominees last season, in Jacob Stallings and Adam Frazier, but they are looking to get the rest of the team up to par. It will take a combination of the two defensive leaders staying the course and some of the new additions pulling their weight as the Pirates try to be masters of defense in 2021.
The Defensive Leaders
Last season, the Pittsburgh Pirates' defense was really bad. They ranked 29th out of 30 teams in fielding percentage and committed the second-most errors in all of baseball. However, there were two guys on the Pirates who clearly did not have trouble at their positions. Those guys are infielder Adam Frazier and catcher Jacob Stallings, who were both nominated for Gold Glove Awards at their respective positions. For Frazier, it was the second straight season that he had been nominated for the award, and for Stallings, it was the first time in his career. Both players are looked at as leaders of the clubhouse, and both will once again be trying to put their defensive abilities on display for the Pirates.
When the 2020 season began, the big question surrounding the Pirates was whether or not Jacob Stallings was going to be able to handle being an everyday catcher. He proved to everyone, not only on the Pirates but around the league that not only could he be a starting catcher, but a strong one at that. He ended the season hitting .248, but aside from that, he was one of the top catchers in the National League. He caught more innings than any other backstop with 345.1 innings caught and bolstered a .990 fielding percentage. He allowed just three passed balls all season, but where he really excelled was controlling the run game. He threw out 33% of would-be base stealers last year, his highest mark so far. He would end up finishing second in voting behind the Reds' Tucker Barnhart but you can bet he will be competing for the award again in 2021.
While Stallings has been a catcher his entire life, the path for Adam Frazier hasn't been nearly as smooth. When he came up to the Big Leagues in 2016, he was a utility guy that was known for his ability to play all over the field. Over the course of his career, he has played all three outfield positions, second base, third base, and shortstop. However, as he has shown the last two seasons, second base is by far his best defensively on the field. In 2020, he played 343 innings at the position and had a solid .994 fielding percentage, second-best in the NL to Kolten Wong among second baseman. However, just like he did in 2019, Frazier finished second in voting behind Wong for the award. With Stallings and Frazier captaining the defense, the Pirate's young guys will have a lot to look up to.
New Guys Flashing the Leather
While Frazier and Stallings are both great defenders in their own right, it is going to take an entire team effort to improve the overall defense. Some guys who struggled last season, like Kevin Newman and Gregory Polanco, are going to have to step up their games and provide solid defense this year. Not saying that everyone has to be a Gold Glove-caliber player, but making all the basic plays, and some of the advanced ones, would be a step forward. Some of the guys in their first full seasons have shown elite glovework that will help the Pirates immensely. Two positions that are set to get a serious defensive upgrade are the corner infield positions. Ke'Bryan Hayes and Colin Moran should both bring better glovework to their positions than their predecessors.
For Ke'Bryan Hayes, excellent glovework has been the staple of his Minor League career for the Pirates. In his five Minor League seasons, he has a career .978 fielding percentage at third base, with his best output coming during the 2019 season. It was his first year with Triple-A Indianapolis, and he posted a .990 fielding percentage, committing three errors in 924.1 innings of work. When he came up to Pittsburgh, that strong defensive play followed him through his first 24 Big League games. He did commit one throwing error, but that was during a rundown with a tough throwing angle. Hayes has shown incredible range so far in his MLB career and is looking to be a vacuum over at third base.
Across the diamond, Colin Moran is starting his first season as the Pirates' starting first baseman. After manning third base the last couple of seasons, Moran is taking over after Josh Bell was traded to the Washington Nationals. For as good as Bell was offensively, his defensive game left little to be desired. He only had 56.1 innings of Big League experience at first base coming into last season, but it was a position he played more regularly in the Houston Astros' organization. He played 143 career innings there in the Minor Leagues and had a respectable .985 fielding percentage. Because he doesn't have to range as far, and because he has a Gold Glove second baseman next to him, look for Moran to be a much more defensively sound first baseman than Josh Bell was, improving the overall defense.
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