Spotlight Players to Watch During the Final Stretch
Heading into St. Louis tonight, there has been a lot of negativity surrounding the organization. The team has lost 22 of their last 28 games and are on a five-game skid after being swept in Los Angeles. They are at a season-low mark of 42-79 and the schedule doesn't get much easier. They head into St. Louis to take on the Cardinals this weekend and end the month with another four-game series at home against the Red Birds. 100 losses are looking more and more inevitable and the Pirates will have to finish the year 20-21 to avoid losing 100 games this season. While the Minor Leagues have a lot to be positive about this season, the Major League team is trending in the opposite direction.
However, it hasn't been all bad as there have been some positives for the Pirates this season. In the beginning of the year, it was watching Adam Frazier in the NL Batting race, and now Bryan Reynolds is getting his name closer and closer to the top of that list. Over the final month of the 2021 season, we will see even more of these success stories as the September call-ups get their shot. While we won't be seeing the Nick Gonzales or Roansy Contreras of the system, we will see some guys who may be supplemental pieces for the Pirates down the road. Today, we look at some of these players to watch over the final month of the season and what they could bring to the Pirates down the road.
Relief Pitcher Shea Spitzbarth
A guy the Pirates have seen coming in relief as of late who has provided some intrigue is right-hander Shea Spitzbarth. He has appeared in just three games at the Major League level but has put in good work. He has thrown 3.1 innings this season and has posted a 2.70 ERA. He has only allowed one extra-base hit in that time frame, but it was a home run resulting in the only earned run he has allowed this season. Now, it is only a small sample size of work, but early indications are that he can get Major League hitters out. With the rosters expanding, Spitzbarth should get an opportunity to be a part of that bullpen once again.
The Pirates acquired Spitzbarth in the Rule 5 Minor League draft this past season, after spending five seasons in the Dodgers organization. He put up lights-out numbers in Triple-A this season, pitching to a 1.50 ERA, and forced the Pirates to give him the call to the Major Leagues. He was added to the active roster for the first time on August 2nd, 2021. Not many undrafted free agents have made it to the Big Leagues, but Spitzbarth has defied all odds and made the jump during his age 26 season. If Spitzbarth can continue pitching well in the Big Leagues, he has the chance to join guys like David Bednar in the back-end of the Pirates bullpen for years to come.
OF Bryan Reynolds
You can't have a Pirates Players to Watch list without the addition of Bryan Reynolds. In a lineup that has been seemingly void of talent, Reynolds has been the one shining light night in and night out. He is currently hitting .308 with 21 home runs and 72 RBI, showing the best production numbers of his short Big League career. Not only is he hitting the ball well, but he is playing some of the best defense that he has ever played. He is second in all of baseball in outs above average. He isn't a very flashy guy in the field, but he makes all the plays and even some of the plays that you don't expect him to make. He is a definite candidate for a Gold Glove Award this season and has undoubtedly been the Pirates MVP in 2021.
If there is one guy on this roster the Pirates need to extend, it's Bryan Reynolds. Reynolds has hit .300 or better in all but one of his seasons in professional baseball and is back to the hitter he has always been in 2021. At 26-years-old, Reynolds is just hitting the prime years of his career. If the Pirates front office wants to show they are moving forward, then signing Reynolds to an extension is what they must do. And, it can't be a team-friendly contract, it should be for what Reynolds is worth. Somewhere in the range of seven years/70 million should be enough to get the deal done. That will cover him through all of his years of arbitration, plus three free-agent years. It is a move that wouldn't only help Reynolds, but it would show the Pirates were ready to move in the right direction.
SP Bryse Wilson
The final player on this list is one the Pirates just acquired at the 2021 Trade Deadline. They sent Richard Rodriguez to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for a minor league pitcher and 23-year-old right-hander Bryse Wilson. Wilson was up and down all season between Triple-A and the Major Leagues and the inconsistency of his appearances has hurt him. Since coming to the Pirates, Wilson has made three starts and has gone 0-2 with a 4.80 ERA over 15 innings of work. He hasn't really had his out pitch so far, this season as he has struck out eight and walked three while allowing two home runs, both in his last start.
Wilson has the potential to be a fixture in the Pirates rotation for years to come, but he has to be able to find that potential. Wilson has some big-game experience, and that experience is invaluable. He has a career 3.09 ERA in five Minor League seasons, showing that he has the stuff to be successful. The question is whether or not he will be able to bring that stuff with him to the Major Leagues. He is under team control through the 2027 season and has plenty of time to show the Pirates what he can do. Every team needs a solid middle-of-the-rotation guy, and that is the role I see Wilson playing down the road.
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