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3 Takeaways From Pittsburgh Pirates Series Loss vs Arizona Diamondbacks
By Marty Leap
Third base is a mess
Entering the season third base was a question mark for the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, there were reasons for optimism. Colin Moran finish 2018 strong – .306/.352/.459 slash line and 118 wRC+ in his final 108 plate appearances – and there was reason to believe he had turned a corner. Jung Ho Kang looked great last year in the minor leagues and this year in Grapefruit League play, giving hope he may find his old form.
Well, neither of these have happened. At least not yet.
After going 1-for-4 in Wednesday’s loss Moran is slashing .239/.317/.380 this season with a wRC+ of 88 (league average is 100). He’s walking in a healthy 10.6% of his at bats, but his 24.0% strikeout rate is a near 7% increase over last season. His 21.9% line drive rate is down nearly 5% from last season, and his 18.5% soft contact rate is up nearly 3%. Not good!
Before being placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday, Kang was slashing .133/.204/.300. His wRC+ is an abysmal 34 and he is striking out in an ugly 31.6% of his at bats. His 32.2% hard contact rate is, by far, a career low. So is his 15.3% line drive rate. Again, not good!
Third base defense has been porous as well. Moran owns a -51.4 UZR/150 this season, he’s been responsible for -1 defensive runs saved, and in Wednesday’s loss he committed his fourth error of the season, and it was a costly one. While Kang’s UZR/150 is 14.3 and his DRS is 0, he’s committed a trio of errors.
So, what do the Pirates do at third base?
Everyone will call for top hitting prospect Ke’Bryan Hayes. However, Hayes entered play on Wednesday with a .260/.347/.397 slash line and a 94 wRC+ at Triple-A. Not awful, but not worthy of a promotion to the MLB level either.
If Moran continues to struggle, do not be surprised to see more of Kevin Newman at third base. Newman started at third on Monday night in Arizona, and is slashing .333/.368/.444 with a 121 wRC+ this season. Defensively, he is much better suited for third base than shortstop. So, playing Newman at third base to get his hot bat in the lineup, especially this weekend in San Diego when the Bucs will likely face a trio of left-handed starters, is something fans may start to see more of.