3 Pirates players who will exceed expectations in 2025

Billy Cook

One of the acquisitions the Pirates made at the 2024 trade deadline was Billy Cook. An outfield/first base prospect from the Baltimore Orioles, Cook displayed some outstanding defense in his brief MLB debut. He had +6 defensive runs saved and +2 outs above average in just 85 innings in the outfield grass. He is one of only three outfielders with at least +5 DRS in less than 100 innings in the outfield since the start of the 2010s.

However, while he far exceeded expectations with the glove, his bat fell short. On the plus side, he hit three home runs in only 49 plate appearances while also posting an elite 92.6 MPH exit velocity and 13.3% barrel percentage. Still, he had just 11 hits in total, struck out 19 times, and didn’t draw a single walk. Cook had a chase rate of 36.9% and an even worse 39.8% whiff rate.

Cook’s hit tool isn’t known to be his strong suit, but he still hit very well at Triple-A. In 421 plate appearances for both the Bucs and O’s Triple-A affiliates, Cook turned in a .273/.373/.485 triple-slash, .379 wOBA, and 123 wRC+. Strikeouts were still a relevant part of his game, with a 24.7% K% and 28.9% whiff rate, but he drew plenty of walks with an 11.9% free pass percentage. Among the 132 batters at Triple-A with at least 400 plate appearances, Cook’s .336 xwOBA was the 23rd best.

Of course, aside from good Triple-A metrics, the Pirates can also maximize his talents by playing Cook in favorable situations. Cook batted .299/.429/.567 against left-handed pitching last season. His .382 xwOBA was the fifth-best mark among batters with at least 100 plate appearances vs LHP last season at Triple-A. He walked far more often against lefties with a 16.8% BB rate, although he still had an unimpressive 23.5% K% and 27.9% whiff rate. With Spencer Horwitz, who can crush right-handed pitching, on the team, Cook may see most of his playing time against LHP when he is playing first base.

Cook still needs to make improvements in his plate discipline, no doubt, but the Pirates brought in a hitting coach in Matt Hague who is known to help in that area. With Cook’s defense, base running, and power potential, he could sneakily be one of the Pirates’ better players next year. He can man all three outfield positions and first base. He’s going to be much more valuable than your average short-side platoon bat.