Dodgers fans may fall for Jack Suwinski hype Pirates fans know too well

When the Pittsburgh Pirates finally DFA'd Jack Suwinski last month, there was a collective sigh of relief from the fanbase. He had simply become an anchor on the roster, and following a strong offseason centered around a rebuilt lineup, he no longer had a place in Pittsburgh.

Of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers swooped in and scooped Suwinski up. Then, almost immediately, all of the Pirates' fears manifested in his spring training debut with his new team, as he blasted a three-run home run in his first at-bat as a Dodger.

We all knew this was going to happen, right? No one who follows baseball these days should be surprised by this outcome.

Then again, spring training stats only count for so much. And even the Dodgers' lauded player development group may only be able to salvage so much of Suwinski's once-promising career.

Jack Suwinski's hot start with Dodgers will be short lived if he reverts to his Pirates form

The Pirates didn't give up on Suwinski just so he could find a new home with the Dodgers; his abhorrent play more than justified the reality that came to pass. After two strong campaigns to begin his career, the outfielder has been worth -1.6 fWAR since the start of the 2024 season.

In that time, he's played in 147 games and drawn nearly 400 at-bats. He's hit just .169/.271/.297 in those opportunities, good for a 59 wRC+. He's also severely regressed in the field, recording -9 Outs Above Average and -16 Defensive Runs Saved.

Simply put, he was terrible for the Pirates. And odds are, he'll be terrible for the Dodgers too.

This isn't meant to be a hit piece against the 27-year-old. He's had some success in the major leagues throughout this career, including an impressive 2023 campaign in which he hit 26 home runs and post a 112 wRC+. Lord knows the Dodgers, shortly after sneaking him through waivers, will somehow find a way to turn him into a perennial All-Star.

But this isn't a quick-fix situation. Suwinski has glaring red flags, including a career strikeout rate of 31.0%. Considering that he doesn't hit the ball all that hard and struggles against every pitch type that isn't a fastball, the changes needed to get him back to his 2023 form would be vast. Los Angeles can overhaul broken players with the best of 'em, but this may be a project too big even for them.