5 Pirates to Watch in Spring Training
Story by Yinzer Crazy Featured Pirates Contributor David Stegon. Follow him on Twitter @DavidStegon
I gave up trying to make sense of spring training stats long ago, with last year providing a perfect example. Both Adam Frazier and Kevin Newman tore Florida pitching apart with absurd batting averages that only exist on MLB The Show (Newman hit .606 while Frazier batted .488.)
Once the regular season started, the two went in different directions: Frazier hit .324, made his first all-star team and earned a mid-season trade to San Diego. Newman was the worst hitter in baseball who got enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title.
While spring stats certainly can lie, spring performances do matter, especially for younger players. Mitch Keller’s troubles last year started to show in Bradenton as his command issues and overall hitability showed themselves during the exhibition season. On the flip side, David Bednar walked into spring throwing gas and previewed an outstanding season.
The rule of thumb for the spring comes down to a player’s history. Established players can do whatever and it doesn’t matter, but guys on the fringes do need to perform. If Bryan Reynolds struggles, I’m not too worried. If Keller stinks up the joint again, I’m going to drown myself in the Monongahela.
Let’s look at five Pirates spring training performances we should watch as we move toward Opening Day.
Cole Tucker: As I wrote here last September, I’m oddly bullish on Mr. Vanessa Hudgens. He’s incredibly athletic and has sneaky size at 6-foot-3. He can do things except, well, hit. What is now known as the “Cole Tucker Game” shows what he can do where he had two diving catches, a grand slam and even a triple.
Tucker made some swing changes last year to shorten his approach to the ball and hit .273/.360/.477 the last two weeks of the season. The results this spring matter for him. If he can consistently hit the ball hard, I could see him grab the starting second base job to start the year (personally, I’d start him at short because I’ve seen enough of Newman for the rest of my life, but I’m not sure the Pirates are there yet.)
Also – just because – here is a random video of Tucker when he was still in high school. As you watch the video, especially the part where he is getting in his beater of a car from the wrong side, that he is now dating her.
Ke’Bryan Hayes: Last year’s coronation of Hayes got derailed thanks to a wrist injury in the second game of the season. It’s obvious Hayes was never the same even when he returned as his swing looked slightly slowed. The numbers showed that (Hayes saw drops in exit velocity and hard hit percentage, among other metrics) as did the eye test (a lot of hits were going to the right side of the field).
I have no worries about Hayes’ long-term success. His intelligence, work ethic, professional approach and natural talent will ensure he is an excellent player. I would just be very happy if he used this spring to launch a few balls over the left field fence to show the injury is past him.
Travis Swaggerty: I understand Swaggy-T needs a few months in AAA after last year’s season was lost to injury but he needs to make it to Pittsburgh this year. With the Pirates lack of outfield depth, I’d be fine starting Swaggerty in centerfield and batting him ninth in the lineup for the bulk of the season. A strong spring could help him get to PNC Park faster and show he’s recovered from the shoulder injury that took him out last year.
Mitch Keller: This is the big one right? Keller reportedly made some mechanical adjustments this winter (praise the lord) and has posted some exciting bullpen footage. I also do not need to mention that all means nothing until we see results on the field. As I mentioned in the intro, Keller struggled last spring, which was a sign of things to come. For his confidence, Keller needs a strong spring where he at least competes with opposing hitters instead of them launching piss missiles all over the ballpark.
Jose Quintana: The Pirates pitching staff might be the worst in all of baseball this year, even with a bounceback from Keller. The Pirates signed Quintana off the scrap heap for $2 million, so he’ll break camp with the team. The question is whether he can regain some of the form he had with the Chicago White Sox or if the nearly 1,500 innings he threw before turning 30 just cooked his arm.
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