Staff Predictions for 2022 Pittsburgh Pirates: Noah Wright
By Noah Wright
Surprise Player of the Year – LHP Dillon Peters
Every team has a surprise player of the year. With the Pittsburgh Pirates last season that seemed to be Tyler Anderson, a lefty who was signed to a low-risk one-year deal and ended up being a quality innings-eater who kept the Pirates in the game in nearly all of his starts. This year, I would like to see Dillon Peters fill the role that Anderson left behind.
Peters was acquired in the second half of 2021 when the Pirates purchased him from the LA Angels. Although, at the time, it was only seen as a depth move, Peters ended up being a reliable arm for the Pirates down the stretch.
He only pitched 26.2 innings but made the most of it. Peters posted a 3.71 ERA, 3.66 FIP, and 1.35 WHIP. Peters only had a 19.7% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate but gave up just two home runs. Peters is known for his ability to induce ground balls and limit home runs, posting a 48.2% ground ball rate.
Peters re-added a sinker to his arsenal, which was about average in terms of run value. His curveball averaged -2.4 run value per 100 pitches. Overall, all of his offerings are around average or better. Peters’s four-seamer and sinker only sat around 90-91 MPH, so he must induce ground balls to get outs. But he has solid command and the stuff to succeed.