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Pittsburgh Pirates 2021 Rum Bunter Staff Preview: Marty Leap
By Marty Leap
Best Position Group – Third Base
On a team like the 2021 Pittsburgh Pirates that is expected to be bad and has plenty of holes, the position that your best player plays will often times be the team’s best position group. This will be the case with the Pirates this season.
Even aside from Hayes, the Pittsburgh Pirates have some quality depth at third base. Veteran slugger Todd Frazier was added via a minor league contract prior to the start of Spring Training games.
Frazier is a former two-time All-Star and can still hit for power. Prior to last season’s COVID-19 shortened season, Frazier had never posted an isolated power below .176 and he has hit at least 18 home runs in each of his eight full MLB seasons.
So far this spring Frazier is 3-for-11 with two walks and two home runs. So all signs point toward his bat still playing. Additionally, throughout his MLB career Frazier has been a plus defender at the hot corner as well.
The star at third base, of course, is Hayes, though. During the 2021 season Hayes could very possibly develop into one of the best all-around third basemen in baseball. Combine this with having a veteran the quality of Frazier as the primary back up to Hayes makes third base a strong position for the Pittsburgh Pirates.