Also, let’s perhaps hold our horses with regard to heckling the Pirates about their inability to develop bats. While the big league roster is no doubt imbalanced right now, the Pirates have made changes to the swings of Nick Gonzales, Sammy Siani, Konnor Griffin, and Tsung-Che Cheng just within the last year, generally with good results. These are signs that they have at least gotten some traction in this area. However, teams like the Red Sox seem to be targeting players with contact skill and then finding ways to help them swing harder and get stronger, while the Pirates seem to be doing the opposite, acquiring bat speed mavens and trying to dial down their strikeouts.
Good luck showing us the clubs who overhaul the swing of a first round college pick who cruised through the minors like Gonzales before they struggle.
Only within the last year has Cheng developed the physical strength to make a swing change away from his slash and dash style viable.
And Siani famously overhauled his contact-oriented high school swing to that ridiculous launch-angle focused thing he stuck with for years before seemingly accepting change was necessary. You got any intel that the Pirates hadn't been trying to get him to change prior to last year?
If these are what passes for developmental successes or encouraging signs of development, I just can’t get as excited. Siani and Cheng still kinda look like org players and NG is…an average regular at best?
Maybe they unlocked something with Griffin, and if they did, that’s great and I’ll help myself to some crow. But I look at how little has been developed through the system in the last five years (Hank is a disaster until we see otherwise, TJ is going backwards), and I feel…not as optimistic.
Nick Gonzales universally graded out as a 50 future big leaguer, at best. After a swing change-driven improvement following a disastrous first taste in the big leagues he's projected to be, yes, a grade-50 big leaguer.
Sorry to disappoint your magical development button, but this is how baseball works.
I sometimes think the hardest hit balls are a little overrated, but not from yesterday's game. The two hardest hit balls were our 2 homers. The 4th and 5th hardest hit balls were our only doubles. So 4 of our 5 hittest balls accounted for all of our extra base hits.
I think being a closer requires a different type of mindset than being a set-up guy. Santana looks like our best reliever at this point, but not sure he is mentally ready for the closer role. Remember he was a waiver pick-up last year and only has 29 innings with the Pirates under his belt. I don't want us to mess up a good thing in Santana.
Maybe begin the year with the famous closer by committee and break him in slowly? I could be all wrong, but just my initial thoughts.
ESPN’s Baseball is Back graphic has Judge, Ohtani, Soto, and …… Skenes. I’m not sure Pittsburgh has fully taken on board how big a national story Skenes is. I can’t remember a Pirates getting more national attention than Skenes in his second season —- not even Bonds, who was still struggling to prove himself at that point in his career.
And unfortunately more reasons why I think he can't be extended into his free agency years. He will have multiple $ paths so he can afford to take some risk (getting hurt before free agency) and get to the huge payoff (8 years with opt outs etc.. hello Dodgers et al) as soon as possible.
Blown out! A very nice start by Jared Jones, 4.1 IP, 3 Hits, 2BB/4K, 1 ER, and then Jack Carey and David Bednar combined for an inning of 8 hits, 3 BB, and 9 earned runs. It continued, and reached 15-0 before HR's by Hall and Gorski in the 9th and we finished just a slight bit more respectable at 15-3.
Are the Twins that strong, or were the Pirates (except Jones) just that flat? Hard not to have doubts about Bednar. IKF posted his 3rd error of ST, but hard to maintain intensity in a blowout like last night. Other personnel fighting to make the 26 - Suwinski 0-2 with a BB, 0 K; Frazier 1-3, 0 K; Davis 0-3, 1K; Gorski 1-1, HR. Don't know how they can avoid putting Frazier on the Active Roster, but that's going to cost a more deserving young player a shot.
Unless Hayes is injured again, I think they should be playing Triolo at short more often. His glove is worth keeping in the game regardless of the position and so much more potential with the bat.
Question and 'kind of' a conclusion based off of evidence. Is Triolo really a full time shortstop defensively? Given how often he has played there (sporadically as a fill in) the evidence says he can suffice as the backup if you have a full time SS who you plan on playing 150 games (Cruz last year pre-move). If people (even outside of Pgh) thought he could play SS wouldn't there have been more attempts to do that since his bat even in minor leagues never screamed full time corner starter in MLB? I remember a lot of thoughts of moving Hayes to SS (who I am sure could also not embarrass himself). But Gold Glove at 3B does not mean above average at SS. Most of this post is one big question or request for thoughts because I am basing my opinions on his use to date. btw (a bit direct), he has not played enough innings at SS to use that as evidence for or against so any glowing or ugly fielding stats aren't going to do much for me.
But, we bench a guy, IKF, signed for $7.5 mil? I like Triolo a lot, but BC's on the hook for that IKF trade and he's going to have IKF playing full time. And, looking at the stats Hayes put up offensively and defensively in 2023, we want him in the lineup all the time. And, if you put IKF at 2B, where he is a better defender, and Triolo at SS, you alienate all of the NG fans. But, that could be our best defensive look in the IF.
I just don’t see the potential in Triolo’s bat. Half of his hits are weak flares, and his swing just doesn’t look good. He’s perfect as a backup infielder.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/pittsburgh-pirates-top-38-prospects/
A lot of love for Ashcraft and Florentino. Not as much for Levi Sterling and Zander Mueth.
Mueth was a bummer for me but respect the eval based on the command/control projection. Hopefully puts it together this year.
How can you not be happy with a guy that throws 74 innings and only gives up 47 hits? OK 50 walks might be a bit high.
How about Florentino shoved all the way into the Top 10.
Also love the comments on Cheng, we were just having this conversation last week I think.
Also, let’s perhaps hold our horses with regard to heckling the Pirates about their inability to develop bats. While the big league roster is no doubt imbalanced right now, the Pirates have made changes to the swings of Nick Gonzales, Sammy Siani, Konnor Griffin, and Tsung-Che Cheng just within the last year, generally with good results. These are signs that they have at least gotten some traction in this area. However, teams like the Red Sox seem to be targeting players with contact skill and then finding ways to help them swing harder and get stronger, while the Pirates seem to be doing the opposite, acquiring bat speed mavens and trying to dial down their strikeouts.
Counterpoint: all of those guys aside from Griffin have been in the system for years. What took so goddamn long? Better late than never I suppose.
Good luck showing us the clubs who overhaul the swing of a first round college pick who cruised through the minors like Gonzales before they struggle.
Only within the last year has Cheng developed the physical strength to make a swing change away from his slash and dash style viable.
And Siani famously overhauled his contact-oriented high school swing to that ridiculous launch-angle focused thing he stuck with for years before seemingly accepting change was necessary. You got any intel that the Pirates hadn't been trying to get him to change prior to last year?
Maybe time for a breather, bro.
If these are what passes for developmental successes or encouraging signs of development, I just can’t get as excited. Siani and Cheng still kinda look like org players and NG is…an average regular at best?
Maybe they unlocked something with Griffin, and if they did, that’s great and I’ll help myself to some crow. But I look at how little has been developed through the system in the last five years (Hank is a disaster until we see otherwise, TJ is going backwards), and I feel…not as optimistic.
Nick Gonzales universally graded out as a 50 future big leaguer, at best. After a swing change-driven improvement following a disastrous first taste in the big leagues he's projected to be, yes, a grade-50 big leaguer.
Sorry to disappoint your magical development button, but this is how baseball works.
I sometimes think the hardest hit balls are a little overrated, but not from yesterday's game. The two hardest hit balls were our 2 homers. The 4th and 5th hardest hit balls were our only doubles. So 4 of our 5 hittest balls accounted for all of our extra base hits.
Would it be wrong to say that Bednar will NOT be our closer to start the season? Santana seems like a better option at this point.
I think being a closer requires a different type of mindset than being a set-up guy. Santana looks like our best reliever at this point, but not sure he is mentally ready for the closer role. Remember he was a waiver pick-up last year and only has 29 innings with the Pirates under his belt. I don't want us to mess up a good thing in Santana.
Maybe begin the year with the famous closer by committee and break him in slowly? I could be all wrong, but just my initial thoughts.
I'm of the opinion that Santana should be given the opportunity. Bednar hasn't looked right for quite a while.
Just looked at Santana's stats with the Pirates and he actually had 44 innings, not 27. I am a huge Santana fan.
I'm'a tune in just to get a screen shot of The Murphanko Express!!!!
ESPN’s Baseball is Back graphic has Judge, Ohtani, Soto, and …… Skenes. I’m not sure Pittsburgh has fully taken on board how big a national story Skenes is. I can’t remember a Pirates getting more national attention than Skenes in his second season —- not even Bonds, who was still struggling to prove himself at that point in his career.
Skenes is a rock star everywhere he goes. I hope it doesn't wear him down.
They're looking at his girlfriend. ;)
And unfortunately more reasons why I think he can't be extended into his free agency years. He will have multiple $ paths so he can afford to take some risk (getting hurt before free agency) and get to the huge payoff (8 years with opt outs etc.. hello Dodgers et al) as soon as possible.
It appears Bednar is still trying to get on track after missing spring training…. Last year
ouch
Blown out! A very nice start by Jared Jones, 4.1 IP, 3 Hits, 2BB/4K, 1 ER, and then Jack Carey and David Bednar combined for an inning of 8 hits, 3 BB, and 9 earned runs. It continued, and reached 15-0 before HR's by Hall and Gorski in the 9th and we finished just a slight bit more respectable at 15-3.
Are the Twins that strong, or were the Pirates (except Jones) just that flat? Hard not to have doubts about Bednar. IKF posted his 3rd error of ST, but hard to maintain intensity in a blowout like last night. Other personnel fighting to make the 26 - Suwinski 0-2 with a BB, 0 K; Frazier 1-3, 0 K; Davis 0-3, 1K; Gorski 1-1, HR. Don't know how they can avoid putting Frazier on the Active Roster, but that's going to cost a more deserving young player a shot.
Unless Hayes is injured again, I think they should be playing Triolo at short more often. His glove is worth keeping in the game regardless of the position and so much more potential with the bat.
Question and 'kind of' a conclusion based off of evidence. Is Triolo really a full time shortstop defensively? Given how often he has played there (sporadically as a fill in) the evidence says he can suffice as the backup if you have a full time SS who you plan on playing 150 games (Cruz last year pre-move). If people (even outside of Pgh) thought he could play SS wouldn't there have been more attempts to do that since his bat even in minor leagues never screamed full time corner starter in MLB? I remember a lot of thoughts of moving Hayes to SS (who I am sure could also not embarrass himself). But Gold Glove at 3B does not mean above average at SS. Most of this post is one big question or request for thoughts because I am basing my opinions on his use to date. btw (a bit direct), he has not played enough innings at SS to use that as evidence for or against so any glowing or ugly fielding stats aren't going to do much for me.
But, we bench a guy, IKF, signed for $7.5 mil? I like Triolo a lot, but BC's on the hook for that IKF trade and he's going to have IKF playing full time. And, looking at the stats Hayes put up offensively and defensively in 2023, we want him in the lineup all the time. And, if you put IKF at 2B, where he is a better defender, and Triolo at SS, you alienate all of the NG fans. But, that could be our best defensive look in the IF.
I just don’t see the potential in Triolo’s bat. Half of his hits are weak flares, and his swing just doesn’t look good. He’s perfect as a backup infielder.
And yet Mitchell's judgement of *relative* potential is still likely correct, right?