Back to Basics: Pirates Look to Hit Reset Button on Defense
The Pittsburgh Pirates have not had a lot of things go right for them during this current six-game losing streak. They have given up a total of 46 runs over these six games and have only been able to muster 10 runs themselves. The young inexperience of this team has been exposed over the last several games, as they are trying to play competitive games in the midst of a rebuild. The reality of this team is that there are many players currently on the team who will not be here come July as the Pirates look to acquire more talent for the future. This means that more young and inexperienced players will get shots throughout the season. No matter where the record goes, the one thing you want to see from the Pirates is good, fundamentally sound, baseball and that isn't what they have been playing as of late.
That was highlighted by "The Play" (which by now you all know what I'm talking about) that has gotten the Pirates laughed at around the league. Not only was it a really bad play, but it was a culmination of just how had things have been going for the Pirates as of late. They are 6-20 in the month of May and have fallen from a once respectable 12-11 to more of what we expected at their current mark of 18-31. I truly believe the Pirates are not as bad as their record shows, but they have to play better fundamental baseball to reach their full potential. We all know they aren't a team that is going to have 20-30 home run guys, but they have to be able to play defense well and hit with runners in scoring position. Today, we look at some of these little mistakes the Pirates have made, and what they can do to fix them moving forward.
Mental Mistakes Causing Demise
One of the things that Ben Cherington said when he took the Pirates General Manager job was that he was going to focus on defense and pitching. So far this season, the Pirates have taken a step forward on the defensive side of the ball. After being the second-worst fielding team last season, the Pirates are currently tied for 11th in Major League Baseball with a .984 fielding percentage. However, it seems at times that the fundamentals of the game just go away and the players are essentially going through the motions. These mistakes don't always show up in errors like yesterday, but in the little things as well. For example, Duane Underwood Jr. not getting over to covet first base on an obvious double play in the game two loss.
For a team like the Pirates, who don't have a lot of offensive prowess, mistakes like this can be detrimental to a team. It seems like every positive this team has is clouded by some negative aspects. For example, the defense overall is actually more improved than last season, but because of some mental errors, it does not appear that way. These are little, fixable, errors that can easily be sured up with more reps and a little more focus. Little adjustments like these can take a team that looks completely desolate to a semi-competitive team. It won't nearly go all the way in fixing this team, as the offense needs to start doing their part as well.
With a team that doesn't feature a lot of power, you have to be able to string hits together to make the offense work. The Pirates have done a nice job of hitting with no one or one man on base this year, but when it comes to run-scoring opportunities, things don't go so well. When there is a man on first, the Pirates are actually hitting well in a league where offense is down. They rank fifth in all of baseball hitting .282 when there is a runner on first, and even with the bases empty they are hitting .217. However, as soon as those runners get into scoring position, the average drops down to a measly .206. When you add on the caveat of scoring position and two outs, the average drops even further to .189. This proves the Pirates can get guys on base, they just aren't coming up with the "big hit" to bring them around.
How To Fix This
I wish there was a simple answer I could give you to this question, but the simple answer is there isn't an easy solution. The Pirates are a young and inexperienced team, and the only way to fix inexperience is by more experience. That means that no matter the circumstances, you just have to keep trotting these guys out there and hoping that they figure it out. There are times where you are going to love these players, like when Will Craig hit his first Major League home run or turns an incredible diving double play. However, there will be instances, like yesterday where you want to go hit your head off the wall repeatedly. It is the growing pains of watching a young team, but the real reward is when these players and some of the key guys in the Minor Leagues mature into everyday Major League players.
We have already seen several positive steps forward for the Pirates, with guys like Miguel Yajure, Cody Ponce, and even Wil Crowe not only making it to the Big Leagues but pitching well in the Big Leagues. They are attacking hitters and just look more ready when they get to the Big League level. The bats we are watching for, like Mason Martin, Oneil Cruz, and Liover Peguero are still a couple of years away, but it will be interesting to see how they develop. Now, the question I always see is "when these guys get good, will Nutting pay them?" And, playing right into their hand my answer would be probably not. But, what the Pirates will try to do, and what they have shown already with Ke'Bryan Hayes, is try to link these guys to contract extensions early in their careers that cover their first two or three years of free agency. This way they avoid the arbitration process and can keep players on team-friendly deals, and move the ones who dong agree to nit when they get more expensive to keep the pipeline of prospects going.
The next couple of years are going to be tough for the Pirates fans, but the rewards of this front office should be worth it. Ben Cherington and his staff have already added some much-needed talent to the system, and now it is up to player development to build off of that talent. There are still many more trades to come this season and next, and then the Pirates should start to be able to be a competitive team for years to come. The key is that the Pirates stick to the process and not get too greedy even when they start succeeding. The key to the Pirate's success is always going to come through their farm system, and that is the big thing that Cherington has been focusing on. If the players are developed from the bottom up correctly, those mental mistakes will go away, and winning baseball should be back in Pittsburgh sooner rather than later.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (18-31) kick-off a three-game series with the Colorado Rockies (19-32) tonight at 6:35 pm at PNC Park. Mitch Keller (2-6, 7.41) gets the ball for the Pirates in a rebound attempt on the mound as he goes against Jon Gray (4-4 3.43) for the Rockies. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet, listen on 93.7 The Fan, or follow along with us on Twitter by following @Buccos_Cove.
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