Pittsburgh Pirates: What’s Gone Wrong With Gregory Polanco

A diamond in the Dominican for the Pittsburgh Pirates

On the eve of Easter 2009 the Pittsburgh Pirates signed a lanky left-handed teenager from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic for $150K. Gregory Polanco didn’t impress until three years later when he reached the West Virginia Power (Charleston, WV) of the Single-A South Atlantic League. With Charleston in 2012, he pummeled opposing pitchers for a .325/.388/.522 triple slash, crushed 16 homers, and stole 40 bases.

Polanco spent the next five years progressing through the minor league system of the Pittsburgh Pirates when he reached his prospect pinnacle in 2014 as MLB.com’s no. 13 overall player. He was finally recalled to the big league club from AAA Indianapolis on June 10, 2014. That same day, he recorded his first MLB hit off old NL Central foe Travis Wood. After a brief stint back in Indy from late August to early September, Polanco would stick in the Pirates lineup for good (more or less).

Over 2,800+ plate appearances later, Polanco has hit to the tune of .246/.313/416 for a .729 OPS, 8.8% walk rate and 20.8% strikeout rate. These are pedestrian numbers posted by what was once considered a highly-touted prospect; Baseball Prospectus even called Polanco, “a true five-tool player.” While many factors have certainly contributed to Polanco’s disappointing career thus far, one is obvious above all others: injuries.

Bitten by the injury bug

In his six full seasons in the Majors with the Pittbsurgh Pirates, El Coffee has suited up for an average of only 104 games per year. This is mostly due to a rash of injuries preventing the towering lefty from taking the field. The bad luck started in mid-May of 2017 when Polanco pulled up lame on his way to first after hitting an infield chopper off Diamondbacks’ pitcher Randall Delgado. He would be placed on the 10-day DL with a strained left hamstring—an injury that would send him to the DL three times that same season. Despite playing only 108 games, he would finish 2017 with 11 HR, 39 R, 35 RBI, and a respectable 8 stolen bases.

In mid-September of the next season, Polanco was lost for the season when he dislocated his left shoulder and suffered a bone bruise on his left knee sliding into second base at Wrigley. This same shoulder would continue to plague Polanco for the next year-plus. Even though the injury would also cost him part of the next season, Polanco finished 2018 with a career best 23 HR, .839 OPS, and 123 wRC+—23% above the MLB average.

Just a few days after Opening Day 2019, Polanco was sent to the 10-day DL to recover from surgery on his compromised left shoulder. He was sent on a rehab assignment about a week later and wouldn’t be activated until April 22nd. Exactly two months later, Polanco was sent back to the DL with inflammation in the same left shoulder, and would be put back on the shelf in late August for the same condition. After playing a career-low 42 games, he managed only six long balls and hit a paltry .242 for a below-league-average .726 OPS in 2019.

Due to the novelty and uncertainly caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 MLB season didn’t commence until July 23rd. Pirate management was hopeful that the delayed start would give ailing players like Polanco extra time to recover from the previous season’s injuries and get their bodies game-ready. Unfortunately, he was placed on the DL three days prior to the start of the season after testing positive for COVID-19. The 2020 MLB season ultimately comprised 60 games and ended with an expanded 16-team playoff and eventual Dodgers World Series victory. Polanco played about 83% of the season’s games and finished with a disastrous .153/.214/.325 triple-slash and a career-low .539 OPS. It should of course be noted that the extenuating circumstances of 2020 certainly contributed to this performance, along with an anemic .193 BAbip (league-average is typically ~.300).

What’s Next for El Coffee?

Following the conclusion of the 2020 MLB season, Polanco headed home to participate in the Dominican Winter League (DWL). After posting a .197/.257/.374 slash line in 87 PAs, he suffered a broken wrist which will reportedly sideline him for four-to-six weeks. In the time since, the Pirates’ front office has initiated a committed teardown by dealing pitchers Jameson Taillon and Joe Musgrove. Other players are sure to follow, and some are wondering if Polanco’s time in black and gold is over.

Polanco is signed through 2021—where his salary will jump to $11M—and has club options for 2022 ($12.5M) and 2023 ($13.5M). These options are sure to be declined by the stingy Buccos. At 29, he is still relatively baseball-young and can hopefully regain his footing during the 2021 season, whether that’s with Pittsburgh or another club.