Pittsburgh Pirates: Greg Allen Pushing for Starting Job

After being claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates back in November outfielder Greg Allen has been turning heads this spring

This past offseason the Pittsburgh Pirates found themselves in need of help I the outfield. While it was a quiet offseason on the outfield front, the Pirates did add Greg Allen. This came after he was designated for assignment by the New York Yankees in November.

Allen has 666 career plate appearances in 236 games played with the Yankees and Cleveland. In his MLB career he has hit for a .241/.307/.348 slash line to go with a wRC+ of 76. Last season, however, was the best season of Allen’s MLB career. Although it was in a super small sample size, Allen hit for a .270/.417/.432 slash line to go with a 140 wRC+ and a 10.4% walk rate.

The 29-year-old switch-hitting Allen has picked up in spring training where he left off at with the Yankees last season. After going 2-for-2 with his 2nd home run of the Grapefruit League season in Thursday afternoon’s tie against the Philadelphia Phillies, Allen is now hitting .429/.636/1.286 slash line in 9 Grapefruit League PAs.

With playing time available in the outfield it appears that Allen is playing his way into a starting role with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022. With Bryan Reynolds set to start in center field and Ben Gamel likely to be in right field it that would leave left field for Allen.

Allen should be able to give the Pirates plus defense in left field. He should also be able to be able to get on base at a good clip. He posted a 9.3% walk rate at Triple-A in 2018, 8.8% in 2019, and a 9.9% walk rate at Triple-A last season. In addition to his 10.4% walk rate in the majors last season, his walk rate in the majors in 2020 was 9.4%.

The past four seasons Allen appears to have turned a corner with his walk rate and his ability to get on base. This could also lead to Allen not just earning a starting job with the Pirates, but also the role of being the team’s leadoff batter.

Right now there is no clear leadoff batter for the Pirates. When looking at their roster Gamel has 319 career PAs batting leadoff and Ke’Bryan Hayes has 82, all of which came last September. While Hayes was successful batting leadoff you do not want a hitter who you envision as being one of your two best hitters this season batting leadoff for an extended period of time.

This would leave just Kevin Newman. Newman has 408 career PAs batting leadoff. Most of these came in his 2019 rookie season which was the lone season of Newman’s career where he was not a well below league average hitter. Newman will not be the team’s leadoff hitter this season unless it’s the occasional leadoff start against a left-handed pitcher.

While Allen may prove to be the hitter he was in 2017-2020 when he never posted a wRC+ over 71 in a total of 618 PAs, it’s also worth the Pirates giving him an extended looking to start the season. Allen is coming off a career year with the Yankees and has been one of the team’s most impressive players this spring.

Additionally, the Pittsburgh Pirates should be giving extended looks to players like Allen. He has a higher ceiling in the outfield than other options such as Anthony Alford and Jared Oliva. Allen is also under team control through the 2025 season, so if he has turned a corner as a hitter he could be al long-term piece for the Pirates.

With less than two weeks to go until Opening Day in St. Louis the switch-hitting Allen has done all he can to lockdown not just an Opening Day roster spot but a starting job with the Pirates. Not only should the Pirates give Allen this opportunity, they should also let him bat leadoff to start the season.