Pittsburgh Pirates Set to Host Cleveland Indians in Three-Game Series
By Marty Leap
Will the Pittsburgh Pirates get a needed bat back this weekend?
While he has managed to avoid a stint on the injured list, first baseman Colin Moran did not make a single start for the Pittsburgh Pirates as they were being swept in Washington. This is optimistic news for the Pirates as Moran is a key cog in their lineup and missed most of May with a quad issue.
In 141 plate appearances this season Moran is hitting for a .291/.355/.449 slash line to go with 4 home runs and a 123 wRC+. Moran has walked in 8.5% of his trips to the plate, while collecting extra base hits at a 9.4% clip.
This continues to build upon the breakout season Moran had in 2020. Since the start of last season Moran is hitting for a .266/.337/.462 slash line to go with a 117 wRC+, .197 isolated slugging and an extra base hit rate of 9.4%.
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Simply put, Moran is one of the best hitters in the Pirate lineup. Any lineup missing one of their best hitters, who is also their clean up, could face some struggles. For a lineup like the Pirates that lacks depth and length, missing that bat can be almost crippling. Hopefully, the Pirates will get Moran back in the lineup this weekend.