Pirates fans wrote off the main offseason addition too fast and now he's a top bat

The Pittsburgh Pirates have desperately needed more big bats that can give them consistent success. Bryan Reynolds was supposed to be that guy, but he regressed tremendously this season. Oneil Cruz has been solid, just strikes out way too much to gain consistency with his power.

Fortunately, Spencer Horwitz is beginning to turn into that player the team needs by catching fire at the plate this last month.

Horwitz was the big offensive addition that Ben Cherington gave up a lot of capital to acquire this past offseason. He posted a 129 wRC+ in his first season (in Toronto), played solid defense, had great advanced metrics, and came with a ton of control. There was so much to like about Horwitz, but once he reported to spring training, we all found out about his wrist surgery.

Losing him for two months didn't help the trade look better, and his slow start that gave him a negative WAR adversely affected the early portion of his tenure, too. Fans lost hope in Horwitz and wrote him off as just another Ben Cherington failure.

Pirates fans wrote off Spencer Horwitz a little too early and now he is one of the better bats in the lineup.

After a monster two home run and six RBI performance against the Rockies, Horwitz finally has a wRC+ over the league average of 100 at 102. Although that is barely above average, it still is better than where it was, as he finished the first half at 74.

Additionally, his OPS on the year has climbed to .726 with a 21.2% strikeout rate, five home runs, and 31 RBI. It's not All-Star caliber, yet he still ranks as a top-three bat in the lineup right now alongside Cruz and Nick Gonzales.

Another big positive he brings is his glove. His OAA of three is significantly above average, and pairs nicely with one DRS. Having stability at first base for years to come will be great for this team moving forward, and now that his bat is starting to work out of his early slump, the trade is looking like a major win. Of course, that isn't the only reason the trade is a win, since Luis Ortiz is under investigation for a gambling violation.

Fans wrote off Horwitz too fast, and it is very refreshing to see him going against that narrative. Pittsburgh needs him to finish strong and healthy to give them great momentum towards 2026.