Tsutsugo Making Good First Impression, But Will It Last
During the 2021 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates have taken a chance on several guys on the waiver wire. Guys like John Nogowski, Ka'ai Tom, and Ben Gamel have all joined the Pirates and have followed a similar pattern. They have all faded out and, with the exception of Ben Gamel, are still a part of the Major League roster. Some just never got going while others got started off with a bang. In the case of Nogowski, he started out hitting nearly .500 in his first 10 games and it looked like he was going to be a move that actually worked out for the Pirates. However, he ended up dropping his average as low as .233 Nd was DFA'd by the Pirates and outright to Triple-A Indianapolis.
The latest new addition to the Pirates didn't come off the waiver wire, but just like Nogowski is off to a hot start. On August 16th, 2021, the Pirates signed free-agent outfielder Yoshi Tsutsugo and activated him during the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his first Pirates at-bat, he recorded a pinch-hit double and hasn't slowed down since. In his first five games with the Pirates, Tsutsugo has been on fire hitting .385 with two home runs and three RBI in 13 at-bats. He has played left field and first base so far and has provided a jolt to the Pirates lineup. However, seeing that so many have failed before, it is hard to get excited about the hot start. Today, we look at Tsutsugo's hot start and whether or not it is sustainable long term.
Tustsugo's Hot Start in the Burgh
After that first pinch-hit double in Los Angeles, things have only gotten better for Tsutsugo. So far in the first two games against St. Louis, Tsutsugo has gone 3-6 (.500) with two home runs and three RBI in the first two games of the series and is tagged as the leadoff man this afternoon. Of his three hits so far in the first two games of the series have been home runs and both have come in big situations. In yesterday's game, he got the scoring started with a two-run home run and then ended up with the eventual game-winning hit in the eighth, an RBI single in the seventh. Because he has been hot, he continues to earn playing time and is in the leadoff spot this afternoon.
One of the biggest problems Tsutsugo has faced coming to the Pirates is his high strikeout rate. Before coming to the Pirates, Tsutsugo had a strikeout rate of 37.6% combined between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays. Over the course of his career, Tsutsugo's strikeout rate sits at 32.9% in his first two big-league seasons. It was one of the concerns I had when the Pirates initially signed the 29-year-old, but since coming to the Pirates he has been making more contact than swinging and missing. He has just one strikeout in his first 13 at-bats. He has yet to walk, but he is making contact at a 92% clip so far, and if you continuously put the ball in play, good things are bound to happen.
One of the things that have helped Tsutsugo is the fact that he is being more aggressive at the plate. He is averaging 3.6 pitches per plate appearance, down a whole pitch from what he was seeing in both Tampa Bay and Los Angeles. This more aggressive approach gets him out of the two strike scenarios and plays more to his strengths. When he is ahead in the count this season, he is a .212 hitter with three RBI in 33 at-bats. However, when he finds himself behind in the count, the average drops to .091 with just one RBI in 44 at-bats. For Tsutsugo, he finds the most success when he is able to jump on a pitch early in the count and that is what he has done with the Pirates.
Can He Sustain it?
The big question with Tsutsugo now is will this be a sustainable approach, or will he eventually fade like the rest of the guys the Pirates have tried. One of the differences so far has been the fast start he has been off to. With both Los Angeles and Tampa Bay, Tsutsugo struggled to get things going. With Tampa Bay, he hit .077 through his first 14 at-bats, and with the Dodgers, his start wasn't much better as he hit just .142. However, with the Pirates, it had been totally different as he has hit .385 in his first five games played. He has been making consistent contact in a Pirates uniform and has cut down drastically on his strikeout rate. Tsutsugo's key to consistent success is making contact and attacking early in the count.
When he makes contact, good things usually happen as he has a hard-hit rate of 41% this season. Consistent hard contact means more balls are going to fall in and you have a greater chance of being a run producer. Especially with the short porch in right that PNC Park offers, Tsutsugo could have a chance to show some of that power that he put on display during his rookie year. He has already hit two home runs in St. Louis, and one of those was a shot to right field. He has raised his flyball rate to 32.8% this season, and if he can continue to elevate the ball, it will produce some of those power numbers that led him to hit 20 home runs consistently over in Japan.
The big worry with Tsutsugo is whether or not he will fall back into his strikeout troubles. With both Tampa Bay and Los Angeles, Tsutsugo had a strikeout rate of over 40%. He is being more aggressive in the count and that is not putting him in those two-strike situations. However, as he gets more playing time, we will truly see if this changed approach has really made a difference at the plate. He is 29-years-old, and even though he more than likely won't be here longer than 2021, it is a chance for him to get some playing time and get back out in the market. The book is still out on Tsutsugo, and he is hoping to write a happy ending in Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (49-74) look for their first sweep of the season when they face the St. Louis Cardinals (62-60). Steven Brault (0-1, 1.84) takes the mound for his fourth Pirate start as he looks to stay hot against Adam Wainwright (11-7, 3.26) for the Cardinals.
Comments
Post a Comment