Pittsburgh Pirates Infield: Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates infield is all but set in stone.  I wanted to write my thoughts on how I see things right now. If the season would start today, what are my expectations and predictions? I am going to preview the infield/catcher positions today and later I will preview the outfield.  Most would think trades and signings are going to take place, so I am basing this off of today’s roster.

Obviously, first base is still the big question mark moving into the start of the season. Michael Morse has shown flashes of consistency and power when he played for the Washington Nationals. In 2011, he finished with a .303 batting average, 31 home runs and 95 RBI’s. I don’t expect high numbers this year, but I think they should give him a shot as the everyday first baseman. They can still sign a left handed hitter to platoon with him, but for now they should give him a chance. I would like Morse to cover first base.

Second base is all Josh Harrison. With Neil Walker departing, this is Harrison’s job to lose. Most Pirates fans are huge J-Hay fans, but I have never been that big on him. The 2014 season was like no other for Harrison. He made his first All-Star appearance and played a huge role in the Pirates success. He has never had “his” position, as he has been a utility man ever since he has been called up. With injuries occurring, this allowed Harrison to play every day in some positions throughout his career. I believe in J-Hay. I really do. However, sometimes I think he is too hyped, and since he has signed his contract extension, he hasn’t been great. He has a career batting average of .284 and has shown some power. He has speed and shows a lot of upside, which is also something that this team needs. He can make the defensive plays and cover a lot of ground. I like him in the middle of the infield along with Jordy Mercer. I’m hopeful he can prove me wrong and blow it up this year. Show me the stats from 2014 and I will become a believer.

Jordy Mercer gets a lot of attention at shortstop. Some believe he shouldn’t be an everyday player, while others believe he should. I remember watching Jordy in Double AA Altoona and I didn’t see much potential. The power isn’t there. Defensively he is very good, and he can cover a lot of range and make smart plays. I will give him the benefit of the doubt with his offense. He hits 8th most games and doesn’t have a lot of opportunities to knock guys in. Productive offensive shortstops are hard to find in the MLB. Clint Hurdle loves Jordy Mercer and even when he is slumping, he will still be in the lineup. Until some of the younger talent grows more, I think Jordy Mercer is ok at shortstop. He was hurt for a good part of the season last year, but was still as productive as we expect.

Jung Ho Kang really impressed me, and I’m sure many others last year. He didn’t get a lot of playing time at the beginning of the season, but as the season progressed, he played more. Kang really showed us that he has all the necessary tools to be an everyday player.  Kang has 121 hits in his short MLB career. He has shown signs of power with 15 Home Run’s and 58 RBI’s. Andrew McCutchen needs someone behind him in the order to drive him in. I think Kang is that guy. With the horrific leg injury he suffered, one can only hope he will be back opening day and starting for the Pirates. Some speculate that Kang will compete for the starting shortstop position. I truthfully don’t think Hurdle will move on past Jordy Mercer. Kang should be an everyday player, so that if he isn’t penciled in the lineup, Hurdle will have some explaining to do.

The catcher position is a no brainer. Francisco Cervelli is the Pirates’ catcher. When the Pirates first signed him, I had never heard of him. He was a quiet piece of the explosive offense. Many nights he would have multi-hit games and drive in runs. His power wasn’t limited, but it was rare to see a homerun from Cervelli. Cervelli only has 17 home runs in 8 seasons in the MLB. As I previously mentioned with the shortstop position, productive offensive catchers are hard to find as well. Defensively he has a strong arm, but only threw out 22% of the attempted steals on him last season. That needs improvement and is something that Pirates need to work on. Cervelli is a quality catcher and Chris Stewart is a reliable backup. Chris Stewart is the man. It seemed like every time he was batting, he doubled!

With my article today, I wanted to focus on what we have RIGHT now. The Pirates have resigned Sean Rodriguez, which will help them tremendously. He virtually can play every position. Names like Elias Diaz, Alan Hanson, Austin Meadows and Josh Bell are brought up a lot in conversation. Meadows is the least likely to be part of the team this year. All of the other names have strong potential and are names to look out for the future.
Projections – Batting Order: Harrison 2nd, Kang 4th, Morse 6th, Cerveille 7th and Mercer 8th.
I will preview my thoughts on the outfield in my next post!