2 internal options the Pirates could platoon with newly acquired Spencer Horwitz

The Pirates' acquisition of Spencer Horwitz seems like a very strong addition to the team, but he comes with some flaws. Although Horwitz fills a hole in the lineup at first base against right-handed pitching, he has thus far been unserviceable against southpaws in his major league career.

In fact, Horwitz posted a wRC+ of 53 and an OPS of .522 against left-handed pitching last season. That is very poor, meaning the Pirates must look for alternative options at first base against lefties. It wouldn't make much sense for Pittsburgh to go out and spend their limited funds on a separate first baseman to play only against left-handers. Instead, they should look at two internal options that could platoon with Horwitz at first base.

Pirates should utilize these internal players to platoon with Spencer Horwitz at first base.

Billy Cook

The Pirates acquired Billy Cook at the 2024 trade deadline from the Orioles, and he turned a lot of heads in his short stint in Indianapolis. Once he made his debut in Pittsburgh, he proved that he brings a lot of defensive value, along with a solid bat against left-handed pitching.

In Triple-A last season against left-handed pitching, Cook put up a whopping 1.002 OPS, which came from an on-base percentage of .436 and a slugging percentage of .566. He also belted eight home runs, driving in 27. That was in just 113 at-bats, which is a small sample size, but what he proved is that he can establish himself more in the major leagues as a guy that can be a specialist against southpaws.

Bryan Reynolds

The Pirates have made it clear that they intend to use Reynolds at first base in 2025. They likely don't view him as the long-term answer there (and shouldn't), but they will use him over at the position when it makes sense. They also don't want to take Reynolds out of the lineup, so putting him at first base against left-handers does not seem like a bad idea.

We all know how productive Reynolds is at the plate, but against southpaws, he is about average. Last season against them, he put up an OPS of .720 with six home runs and a wRC+ of 97. He batted .266 and struck out at a 23.6% clip. Similarly to Cook, it was a smaller sample size at 188 at-bats, but nonetheless he would be a solid choice to play against left-handers at first base.

Saving money by not spending on a right-handed first baseman would be wise. This could allow them to spend more on an outfielder that could play everyday. We'll see this spring what the Pirates choose to do with this platoon, but one of these two shifts would be wise.