Pittsburgh Pirates Having a Historically Futile Season With RISP

The 2022 season has had plenty of negatives for the Pittsburgh Pirates and one of the biggest has been the team’s performance with runners in scoring position

Often times in sports you will hear people talk about a team or player having the “clutch gene.” If there is such a thing as the “clutch gene,” it is certainly something that the 2022 Pittsburgh Pirates are lacking.

The Pittsburgh Pirates currently sit at 45-69. As the team spirals towards their fourth straight losing season, and potentially second straight 100 loss season, a major reason for their struggles has been their offense.

As of Sunday morning, the Pirates rank 28th in the majors in runs scored, slugging percentage, and OPS+, while they check in at 29th among 30 teams in batting average. These offensive woes have certainly applied when the Pirates have had runners in scoring position. In fact, the Pirates are currently putting together one of the worst offensive season in MLB history with runners in scoring position.

Entering play on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Pirates were hitting a paltry .210 with runners in scoring position. This was the sixth lowest team batting average with runners in scoring position since at least 1901.

Well, the team’s woes with runners in scoring position would continue on Saturday night. In their 2-0 loss against the San Francisco Giants, the Pirates went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. This included stranded the bases loaded in the 8th inning and wasting a leadoff double by Rodolfo Castro in the 3rd inning.

Unsurprisingly, the Pittsburgh Pirates also have the worst strikeout rate in all of baseball with runners in scoring position. This season when the Pirates have had runners in scoring position, their batters have struck out 26.6% of the time. Their .352 slugging percentage with runners in scoring position is the second lowest in baseball, ahead of only the Detroit Tigers.

To see the team’s woes with runners in scoring position look no further than their best player – Bryan Reynolds. Reynolds is having a down season at the plate, hitting for a .253/.338/.441 slash line and a 118 wRC+. Overall strong numbers, but poor for his standards.

With runners in scoring position, Reynolds has putrid. In 76 plate appearances with runners in scoring position this season Reynolds is hitting for a woeful .159/.276/.254 slash line, with a 26.3% strikeout rate , just one home run and four total extra base hits.

Ke’Bryan Hayes has been better than Reynolds with runners in scoring position. However, a .233/.320/.344 slash line and six extra base hits will not the job done with runners in scoring position. Especially from a franchise cornerstone player like Hayes.

One of the few hitters that have found success with runners in scoring position has been Oneil Cruz. In just 51 PAs with runners in scoring position, Cruz has hit four home runs, collected six extra base hits, and slugged .522. However, he has hit just .217 with runners in scoring position which has contributed to him still leaving plenty of potential RBI on the base paths.

Ben Gamel has also been able to find success with runners in scoring position. Gamel has hit for a .306/.485/.92 slash line to go with a terrific 196 wRC+ with runners in scoring position. Which made Gamel striking out with the bases loaded on Saturday night and the Pittsburgh Pirates trailing 2-0 all the more frustrating.

Michael Chavis has hit .246/.278/.431 with a 27.8% strikeout rate with runners in scoring position. Prior to being optioned to Triple-A, Jack Suwinski was hitting for a .159/.260/.432 slash line and a 30% strikeout rate with runners in scoring position.

Believe it or not, Josh VanMeter has struggled with runners in scoring position batting .200/.278/.333 in such situations. Bligh Madris is just 3-for-15 with five strikeouts, and while Greg Allen has hit a passable .286 he’s struck out at a 36% clip with runners in scoring position.

Pirate catchers have been especially woeful with runners in scoring position. Prior to getting injured, Roberto Pérez was hitting .188/.235/.188 with a 47.1% strikeout rate with runners in scoring position. Tyler Heineman was batting .200/.231/.240 with runners in scoring position when he was placed on the injured list. While Jason Delay has hit .300 with runners in scoring position, he has no extra base hits while striking out t a 27.3% clip in these situations.

Before being taken off the roster Mike Pérez hit ..050/.136/.050 with runners in scoring position. Andrew Knapp was 0-for-7 with five strikeouts, and current backup José Godoy is 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position since joining the Pittsburgh Pirates.

There are plenty things the Pittsburgh Pirates need to work on this offseason. Fixing their offensive woes with runners in scoring position needs to be at the top of the list. Derek Shelton and Andy Haines need to get to the bottom of this issue before Opening Day 2023.