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Pittsburgh Pirates Top 5 Prospects From A Decade Ago: How They Did, Where They Ended Up

By Noah Wright

PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 07: Jose Tabata #31 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on in the dugout prior to Game Four of the National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on October 7, 2013 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 07: Jose Tabata #31 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on in the dugout prior to Game Four of the National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on October 7, 2013 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – MAY 1: Jose Tabata #31 of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits a lead off triple in the second inning during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in game one of a doubleheader on May 1, 2014 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – MAY 1: Jose Tabata #31 of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits a lead off triple in the second inning during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in game one of a doubleheader on May 1, 2014 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Number 2 – Outfielder Jose Tabata

Originally a Yankees’ prospect, Jose Tabata was brought over to the Pirates with Jeff Karstens, Ross Olendorf, and Daniel McCutchen for Dasmaso Marte and Xavier Nady during 2008. Tabata did solid in the minors, but he wasn’t anything special with the bat. He hit .293/.357/.406 with 5 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 402 plate appearances (148 in AAA, 254 in Double-A). He usually ranked as a decent defender in the outfielder as well.

Tabata would make his debut in 2010 alongside Alvarez, and hit for a solid .299/.346/.400 with 19 stolen bases in 441 plate appearances (103 OPS+). Tabata did well defensively in left field (+5 DRS, 6.2 UZR), but when he was slotted over in center, he did pretty bad (-9 DRS, -4.9 UZR).

For the next handful of seasons, Tabata would mainly serve as a platoon outfielder for the Bucs. Between 2011 to 2013, he hit .264/.335/.378, accumulating a 1.6 bWAR. His best season came in 2013 when batted to the tune of .282/.342/.429 and 118 OPS+ with 6 home runs in 341 plate appearances, but with a -0.5 dWAR. Tabata would only go to play only 107 more games with the Bucs for the next two seasons.

In one of the last games he would ever play with the Pirates (and in the majors), Tabata leaned into a pitch during Max Scherzer’s perfect game, ending his bid (it seems to be the only thing he’ll be remembered in the baseball world by, as it’s the first auto-fill on youtube). Tabata would be traded to the Dodgers in the 2015 deadline for Mike Morse. He hasn’t played an MLB game since 2015, and he hasn’t been given a job as a pro-ball player since 2018.

While Tabata did not live up to expectations, he played a big role in the 2013 Pirates making the postseason. He will also never be forgotten for leaning into a pitch to break up Scherzer’s perfect game in 2015, and he was always an interesting character in the clubhouse.

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