Stories From Camp: Middle Infield Competition Heats Up With Two Front Runners
Coming into Spring Training, the Pirates had five middle infielders vying for two spots in the Pittsburgh Pirates middle infield in 2021. With only two spots in the middle infield and one taken by second baseman Adam Frazier, the competition for the starting shortstop position is heating up. Adam Frazier is currently out with a groin injury, and his fellow middle infielders are taking advantage of the uptick in playing time. Two middle infield candidates in particular have taken the opportunity in stride and are showing through the first five games how good they can be. Kevin Newman and Erik Gonzalez have both been on fire at the plate and have shown they can play both second base and shortstop.
The tandem got the first start of Spring Training at the two positions and haven't slowed down since then. Newman so far is 4-6 with three walks and Gonzalez is keeping pace going 3-6 with a walk and a home run. Both have played in three of the first five Spring Training games, and both have shown they can be a starting shortstop. For Newman, it was his strong rookie campaign in 2019 where he hit .308 with 12 home runs and 64 RBI while posting a .973 fielding percentage at the position. For Gonzalez, it was last season when he got his average up to .354 and was one of the best offensive and defensive players on the team. We look at both player's strong starts to Spring as we breakdown this battle for shortstop supremacy.
Kevin Newman
In 2019, Kevin Newman was disappointed when he lost out on the starting shortstop position to Erik Gonzalez. Newman would start the year on the bench and eventually earned the rhe starting job when Gonzalez broke his collar bone. He has been the starting shortstop ever since and comes into 2021 as the favorite for the position. However, if he wants to keep it, he has to show that he can improve after hitting just .224 last season. He has shown signs of improvement over his first three spring training games, going 4-6 (.667) with three walks in nine plate appearances and has a ridiculous 1.444 OPS in those three games.
One of the biggest complaints about Newman, especially in the leadoff spot, is that he doesn't see enough pitches. That seems to be something he is emphasizing this spring as he had already drawn three walks in three games. Last season, Newman had a walk rate of just 6.9% and he saw just over three pitched per at-bat. He already has walked in a third of his spring at-bats showing that patience is a priority for the now 27-year-old infielder. He still has some work to do, however, as so far he is only seeing 2.6667 pitches per at-bat during those first three games. As a leadoff man, you would like to see him get that number up to around three or four as he works those long at-bats and tires out the opposition.
2020 was a step back for Newman, and after being guaranteed a starting job at the start of 2020 camp, Newman enters 2021 not so sure of his standing. His struggles at the plate last season, coupled with poor defensive play, have left him once again battling for his job with Erik Gonzalez. The two have gone back and forth for the last two seasons, and the Pirates are looking for one of them to step up and lead the way this season. Newman has somewhat of an offensive advantage because he has shown he can hit for both average and some power. If he can get back to hitting around the .300 mark and showing that 10-15 home run power again, Newman could make himself a staple as the Pirates' starting shortstop for years to come.
Erik Gonzalez
After a disappointing debut for the Pirates in 2019 when he broke his collar bone, Gonzalez knew 2020 would have to be his bounce-back season. He wasn't guaranteed a starting role, but he was going to use his versatility to play anywhere he could and make the most of it. Gonzalez would end up playing shortstop, third base, centerfield, and left field and played solid defense everywhere he went. As injuries started creeping up, Gonzalez got more opportunities and made the most of them. By mid-August, Gonzalez was one of the hottest hitters on the team, hitting .354, and was consistently getting on base. Through his first three spring training games, he seems to have continued this offensive success hitting .500 (3-6) with a home run, two RBI, and a walk.
His biggest hit so far came in yesterday's 6-1 win over the Atlanta Braves when he mashed a two-run home run that put the Pirates ahead for good. He started out spring with a 2-2 performance against the Baltimore Orioles on February 28th and is trying to show that his bat can match his defensive production. Gonzalez is also working on being more patient at the plate and is showing some improvement seeing nearly three pitches per plate appearance this spring. If Gonzalez can find a way to up his offensive game, his defense speaks for himself and could earn him an everyday spot in the Pirate's batting order.
In the first battle between these two in 2019, it was Gonzalez's defensive play that won him the position. However, he now has to compete against Newman's offensive ability and his growing defensive prowess. As these two get set to do battle again, their defensive abilities are almost on par with each other. In the end, it is going to come down to who can hit the ball more consistently and reach base more often. Both players will undoubtedly make the Opening Day roster when the team heads to Chicago on April 1st, and we will see a heavy dose of both this season. But what remains unclear is which one will prevail and become the Pirates starting shortstop on Opening Day.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (2-2-1) are back in action in Clearwater, Florida today when they take on the Philadelphia Phillies (2-2) at 1:05 pm. Chad Kuhl (1-0) makes his second start of the spring after pitching a scoreless outing last time, against Chase Anderson (0-0) for the Phillies. You can follow along with all the action by following us on Twitter at @Buccos_Cove.
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