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Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects: Three Surprising Hot & Cold Starts
The Pittsburgh Pirates have had some surprising hot and surprising cold starts to the 2022 campaign.
The 2022 season is in full swing, and while not a whole lot of games have been played, there have still been good starts and bad starts for players. The Pittsburgh Pirates have had some surprising good starts and bad starts to the season. Some guys who are coming off of down seasons are performing well above expectations, and some guys who are coming off phenomenal campaigns aren’t doing so hot.
Now overall, these are small sample sizes. Nobody we’re going to talk about has even reached 100 plate appearances, so keep that in mind. Ice cold starts are just that, starts, so don’t be too worried if your favorite Pirates prospect didn’t start 2022 off on the right foot. It’s a long season. (Note I am only looking at the oragnization’s top prospects. So while guys like Jacob Gonzalez and Matt Gorski have an OPS over .900, they aren’t considered ranked prospects. Plus, we already highlighted some hot starts by unranked prospects here.
Hot Starts
Mason Martin
Mason Martin had a lot of questions to answer after his so-so 2021 campaign. While he did have a solid .805 OPS, .344 wOBA, and 114 wRC+, it was extremely worrying that he had put up career worsts in K-rate at 34.3% and walk rate at 7.8%. Martin has 23 hits to start this year, including eight doubles, four triples, and four home runs. The only downside is his strikeout and walk rates have gotten worse, and he only has four walks and 25 K’s.
Connor Scott
Connor Scott was one of the main pieces heading back the Pirate way in the Jacob Stallings deal. Although many could have predicted that Scott would get off to a hot start, given he had a 144 wRC+ in the second half of 2021, he’s been even better than expected. Scott has 19 hits through just 61 plate appearances. Although he only has one home run, triple, and four doubles, Scott also has seven walks.
Cal Mitchell
Cal Mitchell’s 2021 season was solid but unspectacular. He only had a .751 OPS, .329 wOBA, and 104 wRC+. On the plus side, he had a phenomenal 17% strikeout rate. Although that was slightly above average production, it wasn’t the best season among Pirate minor leaguers.
Not only was his performance so-so, but was just the second time he put up an OPS above .715. Mitchell has gotten things kicked off at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he ended the 2021 campaign and has 18 hits through 69 trips to the plate. Five of those hits were doubles, and three more were home runs. Mitchell also has the same amount of walks to strikeouts with six each. The hot start has led to a 144 wRC+, 11.6% walk, and strikeout rate.
Cold Starts
Nick Gonzales
Nick Gonzales was one of the best hitters in the minor leagues last season. During his season with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, the second base prospect had a .950 OPS, .405 wOBA, and 150 wRC+. He struck out a little more than you’d like, but he whittled down his strikeout rate throughout the season. The start of 2022 hasn’t been great for Gonzo, who has just 13 hits and 27 strikeouts through his first 80 plate appearances. At the very least, he has 14 walks and has looked better the past week.
Matt Fraizer
Matt Fraizer had a massive breakout campaign with the Grasshoppers and the Curve. He was up there with Gonzales and Endy Rodriguez as one of the Pirates’ best minor league batters, having a .939 OPS, .402 wOBA, and 149 wRC+. To say the start of the 2022 campaign has been rough for the outfielder would be an understatement. In 77 plate appearances, he has just 12 hits, 26 strikeouts, and three walks. He has just one home run and three doubles. This has all led to a 25 wRC+.
Next. Pirates Option Three Relievers to Triple-A. dark
Oneil Cruz
Oneil Cruz was one of the biggest stories for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021. After putting up a strong 136 wRC+ and .377 wOBA at Double-A Altoona, Cruz would get promoted to Triple-A, where he had 11 hits, 5 homers, and 8 walks in 29 plate appearances. Cruz made his debut and went 3-for-9 with a home run and one of the hardest-hit balls of the year. Cruz was sent to Triple-A to start 2022 but has just 13 hits in 85 plate appearances. He has just a 57 wRC+.