Pittsburgh Pirates 2022 Preview: Utility Man Hoy Park

When he first arrived with the Pittsburgh Pirates utility man Hoy Park was hot at the plate, but after struggling down the stretch what does 2022 hold for him?

Utility man Hoy Park was one of the many players acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates at the traded deadline last July. Park was one of two players acquired from the New York Yankees in exchange for reliever Clay Holmes.

With the Pittsburgh Pirates, Park accumulated 149 plate appearances in the final two months of the season. He also played all over the field for manager Derek Shelton, seeing time in left field, center field, third base, shortstop, and second base.

When Park first arrived in Pittsburgh he was hot at the plate. In his first 47 PAs with the Pirates  the left-handed hitting Park hit for a .279/.326/.442 slash line. He walked in 6.4% of his trips to the plate, collected extra base hits at a healthy 10.6% rate, and he had a wRC+ of 107.

During this stretch Park did struggle with the swing-and-miss, striking out in 27.7% of his trips to the plate. He was also benefiting from a batting average on balls in play of .379, which, combined with an average exit velocity of 85.8 MPH, indicated he was due for regression.

In his final 102 PAs of the season Park struggled at the plate. He hit for a .155/.287/.286 slash line to go with a wRC+ of 60 and an extra base hit rate of just 4.9%. However, while struggling, his strikeout rate dropped to 24.5% while his walk rate jumped to a well above league average clip of 14.5%.

After benefiting from an unsustainably high BAbip in his hot start with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Park was the victim of an unsustainably low BAbip during his poor finish. In his final 102 PAs of the season Park had a BAbip of just .190. This indicates that Park was a victim of poor luck during this stretch. Adding to that further was his average exit velocity during this stretch jumping to 86.4 MPH.

Overall, Park his .197/.299/.339 with a 75 wRC+, 12.1% walk rate, 25.5% strikeout rate, and a 6.7% extra base hit rate in 149 PAs with the Pirates. His BAbip was .253, indicating his overall results should have been better.

Odds appear to be strong that Park will crack the Opening Day roster of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Right now the team does not have a set backup shortstop, second baseman, or left fielder, Park could fill in at all three of these roles.

Park’s versatility will undoubtedly work in his favor when trying to crack the Opening Day roster. The offensive value he flashed in the minors and when he first came to Pittsburgh will work in his favor as well.

Right now, it would be a surprise if Park did not crack the Pirate Opening Day roster. It is likely that the only way this would not happen would be if Park were to get injured before Opening Day, or if the Pirates added another utility player or two after the work stoppage ends.

The 2022 season could be a big one for Park. As he will likely crack the team’s Opening Day roster this will give him the opportunity to solidify himself as a MLB player. If Park can find success, both offensively and defensively, as a utility man with the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, then he could become a building block piece for the organization as an utility man.