Send Cruz and Davis back down to learn how to play baseball. Promote Grandal and Gonzalez. Make Williams the shortstop, Grandal the catcher, with Gonzalez at 2nd. Triolo becomes the utility infielder.
A sports writer should talk with the MiL hitting coordinator about the organization's development strategy. Three top ten draft picks have and are greatly underperforming. Only Nick Gonzales has shown improvement. So too S. Polanco who is accomplishing nothing at Bradenton this year.
Either the organization can't draft and sign hitters or can't develop the hitters it does draft and sign.
Termarr Johnson is the test case. His hitting skills were considered to be so good that he was considered a credible 1-1 pick in his draft year. Currently, he's a whiff machine while playing for Greensboro.
Not opposed to giving Nicky G another shot soon, but at whose expense? Considering Cruz isn’t going anywhere the only likely candidate is Triolo, who I think is putting up some decent at-bats but the hits just aren’t dropping for him right now.
Another issue arises with the current structure of this team. Having a full-time DH/reserve outfielder limits your team’s flexibility, forcing our utility infielder to also be the starting second baseman. It would make the most sense to demote from the outfield depth and call up Gonzales, unless someone ends up on the injured list…
Excellent point. I am glad to see NG or any other guy in MiLB do well. But that does not mean an automatic bump to MLB. Who loses PT if NG is promoted to the MLB level? Cruz is not that person, so that leaves Jared Triolo who got a chance in MLB last year, same as NG, but Triolo made the best of his time at MLB. His work at 3B last year when Hayes was injured more than validated his worth to the team. He finished 2023 at the MLB level with a slash of .298/.388/.398/786 OPS, with a fielding percentage of .973 at 3B and 1.000 at 2B.
At Spring Training both Triolo and NG faced the same combinations of MiLB/MLB pitching. In 42 AB's, Triolo posted a slash of .310/.383/.500/883 OPS. In 35 AB's NG posted a slash of .257/.297/.429/726 OPS.
He’s tied for 3rd on the team in RBI, 4th on the team in batting average, 4th in on base percentage, as well as providing solid defense at a position he’s learning on the fly…
So other than all that, yeah he’s easily replaceable.
That may be true, but why cast away the third best hitter on a team that already can’t score? The reality is even though he’s underperforming, he’s still outperforming Cruz, Suwinski, Davis, Tellez, etc.
If you’re looking at results up until this point he’s certainly in conversation. Will other hitters currently slumping in the lineup eventually surpass him? Yes, but as it stands now I wouldn’t consider him in danger of being removed from the lineup.
If we are “resulting”, Triolo is the sixth best hitter among the regulars. I don’t think they should send Triolo down, but he’s not a starting 2B. He’s always been a defense-first player. He’s the epitome of a utility infielder; give him starts at all infield positions when guys are struggling or need breaks, including SS. There seems to be a large portion of this fan base that thinks he will finally put everything together at the MLB level. It doesn’t work like that, these evaluations are nothing more than an example of the endowment effect.
This is just sad & pathetic. The never ending 5yr plan. Skenes & the other starters will have to pitch complete games & give up 1 run or less for the Pirates to have a chance. A system full of nothing when it comes to hitting.
I have a unique idea for the hitters to try which probably runs counter to hitting guru's Shelton and Haines which is swing at hittable pitches in the zone and quit chasing the ones out of the zone. I also would consider allowing them to hit when they are ahead in the count. Is protecting the plate still a baseball term, lol.
Send Cruz and Davis back down to learn how to play baseball. Promote Grandal and Gonzalez. Make Williams the shortstop, Grandal the catcher, with Gonzalez at 2nd. Triolo becomes the utility infielder.
those are uhh...not very inspiring options there
A sports writer should talk with the MiL hitting coordinator about the organization's development strategy. Three top ten draft picks have and are greatly underperforming. Only Nick Gonzales has shown improvement. So too S. Polanco who is accomplishing nothing at Bradenton this year.
Either the organization can't draft and sign hitters or can't develop the hitters it does draft and sign.
Termarr Johnson is the test case. His hitting skills were considered to be so good that he was considered a credible 1-1 pick in his draft year. Currently, he's a whiff machine while playing for Greensboro.
This has become a weakness of the organization.
Not opposed to giving Nicky G another shot soon, but at whose expense? Considering Cruz isn’t going anywhere the only likely candidate is Triolo, who I think is putting up some decent at-bats but the hits just aren’t dropping for him right now.
Another issue arises with the current structure of this team. Having a full-time DH/reserve outfielder limits your team’s flexibility, forcing our utility infielder to also be the starting second baseman. It would make the most sense to demote from the outfield depth and call up Gonzales, unless someone ends up on the injured list…
Excellent point. I am glad to see NG or any other guy in MiLB do well. But that does not mean an automatic bump to MLB. Who loses PT if NG is promoted to the MLB level? Cruz is not that person, so that leaves Jared Triolo who got a chance in MLB last year, same as NG, but Triolo made the best of his time at MLB. His work at 3B last year when Hayes was injured more than validated his worth to the team. He finished 2023 at the MLB level with a slash of .298/.388/.398/786 OPS, with a fielding percentage of .973 at 3B and 1.000 at 2B.
At Spring Training both Triolo and NG faced the same combinations of MiLB/MLB pitching. In 42 AB's, Triolo posted a slash of .310/.383/.500/883 OPS. In 35 AB's NG posted a slash of .257/.297/.429/726 OPS.
It meant an automatic bump for Triolo and Williams, both of whom have underperformed against NG’s numbers.
Triolo can go. What you see is what you get from him. Nothing! Never understood the love for him people on this site give him
He’s tied for 3rd on the team in RBI, 4th on the team in batting average, 4th in on base percentage, as well as providing solid defense at a position he’s learning on the fly…
So other than all that, yeah he’s easily replaceable.
That may be true, but why cast away the third best hitter on a team that already can’t score? The reality is even though he’s underperforming, he’s still outperforming Cruz, Suwinski, Davis, Tellez, etc.
There is absolutely nothing to support that Triolo is this team’s third best hitter, especially with a 285 xwOBA.
If you’re looking at results up until this point he’s certainly in conversation. Will other hitters currently slumping in the lineup eventually surpass him? Yes, but as it stands now I wouldn’t consider him in danger of being removed from the lineup.
If we are “resulting”, Triolo is the sixth best hitter among the regulars. I don’t think they should send Triolo down, but he’s not a starting 2B. He’s always been a defense-first player. He’s the epitome of a utility infielder; give him starts at all infield positions when guys are struggling or need breaks, including SS. There seems to be a large portion of this fan base that thinks he will finally put everything together at the MLB level. It doesn’t work like that, these evaluations are nothing more than an example of the endowment effect.
Being 3rd on a team that can't hit means nothing.
This is just sad & pathetic. The never ending 5yr plan. Skenes & the other starters will have to pitch complete games & give up 1 run or less for the Pirates to have a chance. A system full of nothing when it comes to hitting.
I have a unique idea for the hitters to try which probably runs counter to hitting guru's Shelton and Haines which is swing at hittable pitches in the zone and quit chasing the ones out of the zone. I also would consider allowing them to hit when they are ahead in the count. Is protecting the plate still a baseball term, lol.
What is worse?
a) swinging and missing
b) taking a strike in the zone
I would say 'a' because you might accidentally hit it, lol.
Trick question. There isn’t any. Lol.