Scouting the Pirates system 2023: Best Hit Tool
A look at some of the best hit tools in the Pirate system
‘Scouting the Pirates system’ is taking an in depth look at the players in the organization, and how has the best tools. Each article will highlight a different tool, with each writer on the site pitching in who they believe has the best.
What comes to mind when you think of the ‘hit’ tool? You can make a case that it is the most essential tool that a player can have, as it unlocks the rest of the tool belt.
You can have all of the raw power in the world, if you don’t make consistent, solid contact, it won’t translate to games the way you want. A solid approach at the plate can lead to drawing more walks, using your plus speed to overcome the fact you don’t have a lot of power, turning free passes to extra-bases.
You can define a good hit tool many ways, but really what it comes down to is the player’s ability to put the barrel on the ball and put it into play. Here are some notable names in the system, plus some of the writers input on who they feel like has the best hit tool among Pirates’ minor leaguers.
Mitch Jebb
While Tsung-Che Cheng may be the obvious choice, I went in a little bit of a different direction, mainly because he will be mentioned later on in the article.
Jebb was drafted in the second round by the Pirates out of Michigan State, jumped to pro ball and immediately started hitting and never stopped till the end of the season.
There will be questions about his lack of power as he moves up the system, but when it comes to pure hitting ability, few in the system can match his bat-to-ball ability.
Across all the minors, of players with at least 150 plate appearances (affiliated ball only as the FCL/DSL don’t track this properly), only two players had a lower Swinging Strike rate (SwStr%) than Jebb’s 2.7%.
He finished with a 94.9% in-zone contact rate with Bradenton, the best number on the team among players who played the a non-rehab stint there (Malcom Nunez had a higher, but was there on rehab).
Tres Gonzalez
Speaking of in-zone contact rate with Bradenton, Tres Gonzalez trailed Jebb with a mark of 92.8%. He also finished second behind Jebb when it comes to SwStr%, with a 6.2% mark.
He saw his strikeout, and line drive rate go in the opposite direction after moving up to Greensboro during the season, but was still one of the better hitters on the team.
He’s another player that will need to show he can hit for some extra power as he moves up the ladder, but when it comes to pure hitting ability, Gonzalez is one of the best in the system.
He ran into a couple of balls while with Greensboro, including this shot I caught of him connecting for a home run.
WTM: Tsung-Che Cheng
Theoretically, this should be Termarr Johnson, but he swings and misses on pitches in the strike zone way too often. Cheng has always had a good approach and consistently makes good contact. He had some trouble after moving up to Altoona, but the move to AA is the toughest jump in the minors. We’ll see how he adapts next year.
Other notables
Cheng obviously has one of the better hit tools in the system, as WTM notes above. He has the approach to be a legitimate leadoff hitter, and can barrel up the ball as good as any. Double-A really sapped his power, but still has the bat control to really abuse the gaps and then use his speed to turn singles into doubles.
Playing around with FanGraphs, I checked the Pirates system for players with the following stipulations: < 20 LD%, < 10 BB%, < 20 K%, < 10 SwStr% and at least 150 plate appearances and eight names came up.
Mitch Jebb, Vinny Capra, Josh Bissonette, Endy Rodriguez, Miguel Andujar, Tres Gonzalez, Jesus Castillo, and Domingo Leyba.
Endy and Andujar aren’t prospects anymore with Capra, Bissonette and Leyba minor league depth. I’ve already talked about Jebb and Gonzalez, which just leaves Castillo.
Baseball America noted that four teenagers drew 100 walks this past season - Castillo was one of them. It’s hard to make an argument for a player with a .209 average, but he does carry a lot of the traits you might be looking for out of a strong hitter.
WTM mentions Termarr, but I’ll go into a little more detail. This year he seemed to be more power over contact, which threw a lot of people out of sorts due to his predraft scouting report.
Then again, how fair was it to get comps to Hall of Fame hitters as a 17-year-old? Maybe expectations where a little too high for Termarr, but he was also one of the four teenagers to draw 100 walks this past year, along with Castillo.
While maybe he isn’t in the conversation for best hit tool now, I do see the potential with the right growth to get back in it.
Maybe Termarr won’t be a high contact / high average bat, but a solid fielding second baseman that can get on base 42% of the time and slug some is an all star every season in MLB.
Let the debate begin!
I'd argue the hit tool and *contact* tool are separate, but related.
Kevin Newman is the definitional Pirate example from recent times here, and that's where I suspect Mitch Jebb ultimately falls.
Both, yes, display top-of-scale contact ability, but as Newman proved you have to couple that with at least a *minimum* amount of punch or the much-maligned big league defender will eat you up. From the available data, it seems Jebb (Jeb!...come one, somebody get it) may have even less juice than Newman.
The ultimately judge of hit tool is still the good ole batting average, I say, with things like contact rate and whiff rates being components of the outcome.
All that said...Jebb may still actually be best in this current system. Woof.