Pittsburgh Pirates: Three Goals For Center Field This Season

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Mar 1, 2021; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates Anthony Alford (8) steps on home after hitting a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the top of the second during spring training at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports /

Next up in our series looking at three goals for each position group with the Pittsburgh Pirates is the very competitive center field position

This piece was supposed to be written a little earlier, but due to Anthony Alford‘s uncertainty with an injury in his wrist, I felt it necessary to wait and see what unfolded for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Thankfully Ben Cherington on Sunday mentioned that Alford seemed to have nothing but a contusion on his wrist. If this is the case then Alford will likely be your Opening Day starter in center field.

That being said, the Pittsburgh Pirates do have other center fielders vying for that coveted role of being a starter. The Pirates recently acquired another similar player to Alford in Dustin Fowler. Both Fowler and Alford are around the same age and never really getting that shot to show what they can do; what better place and time than now and with the Pirates. We could very well see both Alford and Fowler patrolling center field rather evenly.

The Pittsburgh Pirates also have a veteran option for center field in minor league free agent signee Brian Goodwin, and, to be honest, I don’t see him making the squad, but if he does, we know we have a career .250 hitter who offers average defense. If you can’t tell, I’m not a big fan of Goodwin but will give him a shot if he ends up making the team.

Now, let’s dive into three goals for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the center field position this season.

PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 04: Anthony Alford #6 of the Pittsburgh Pirates slides safely into home plate to score on run on a wild pitch by Trevor Bauer #27 of the Cincinnati Reds in the fourth inning during game two of a doubleheader at PNC Park on September 4, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

Goal Number One – Speed, Speed, Speed

I want to see speed, speed, speed, and tons of it. I love speed in a center fielder, and I think between Alford, Fowler, and even prospects such as Jared Oliva the Pittsburgh Pirates will be offering you a plethora of it. According to FanGraphs, Alford has 70 graded speed, and in 2019 with Toronto’s Triple-A club, he swiped 22 bags, had a good 7.6 speed score, and had a positive wSB of 0.7.

On the other hand, Fowler is considered a little slower than Alford, but he still has good speed, and in 2018 he was graded with a 60 grade. Fowler is known a little more for hitting the ball hard, but in every year except his first two, he had double-digit steals, and in 2015 he had a career-high 30 stolen bases. Fowler, however, has just recovered from a Patella rupture in 2020, so we don’t know if his speed is still present or not.

If Goodwin does indeed make the club, we might not see any stolen base efforts with just 22 in his five-year MLB career. He does, however, have a 2017 report with a 60-grade speed which may tell me the clubs he was on did not utilize the speed game a whole ton.

MESA, AZ – February 24: Dustin Fowler #11 of the Oakland Athletics bats during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Hohokam Stadium on February 24, 2020 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /

Goal Number Two – Improved Power

The next thing I want to see from center fielders for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season is a decent amount of power. Alford, for example, isn’t your prototypical Mike Trout, but he does offer you a good amount of extra-base hits and solid hit balls. Alford’s FanGraphs report has his raw power at a 60 grade along with his game power at a 40 grade. Just last year, between three levels, had around 37% of his 83 hits go for extra bases Alford also carried an above-average ISO of .152.

Fowler, in my opinion, is a better option for power even though in 2018, he had a slightly lower raw power at 55 and had plus game power at a 50 future value. 2019 with Oakland’s Triple-A team he hit a career-high 25 home runs along with 22 doubles and 7 triples. His average exit velocity is a very good 91 MPH, and he also had a great ISO of .200.

Goodwin does have some pop. During the 2020 season, even though he had just 31 hits, about 52% of those hits resulted in an extra base hit. If you want a more realistic number, we can look to 2019, where he hit 108 times and had 49 extra base hits which averages out to around 45% of the time. Goodwin does have some pop, don’t get me wrong, I just don’t think he will make the team.

Mar 10, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Jared Oliva (14) looks up after hitting a home run in the sixth inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports /

Goal Number Three – Figuring Out The Future

This one is more of a plead to the Pirate organization, but it still is a major goal that needs to be figured out. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, FIGURE OUT WHO THE CENTER FIELDER IS FOR THE FUTURE!! If you’re trying to make Oneil Cruz a center fielder, then do it. If t’s the aforementioned Oliva, then say it. If it’s Travis Swaggerty, then come out and tell us, if he isn’t in the system yet, then go find one.

People talk about the log jam in the middle infield, but I think there is just about the same size of a jam in the outfield and, in particular, in center field. So in 2021, I would like to see some sort of attempt at establishing who will be THE GUY for when the Pittsburgh Pirates start to make a push in 3-4 years.

dark. Next. Troy Stokes Jr. Making His Case

I personally think Cruz is going to stay put at shortstop, especially after hearing Cruz express his desire to stay there. That leaves us with guys like Oliva, Swaggerty, Hudson Head, Cal Mitchell, and a few others. I think maybe it’s my old school mentality, but center field is like the QB, and without one, it’s hard to win. Another reason could be we were spoiled with a guy like Cutch.

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Next up in our series looking at three goals for each position group with the Pittsburgh Pirates is the very competitive center field position

Goal Number One – Speed, Speed, Speed

Goal Number Two – Improved Power

Goal Number Three – Figuring Out The Future

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