Pirates newest hitting coach hire could help this outfielder improve in 2025

The Pirates outfield production as a unit has not been great in recent years. Oneil Cruz moving to center field improves it a lot, but there's still a void in right field. Bryan De La Cruz is a potential non-tender candidate, while Jack Suwinski fell off in 2024, but there is still another left-handed bat that could win the job.

Josh Palacios should be in the mix. His production at the plate during his time in Pittsburgh has been a little below average, but he has done enough to produce a positive fWAR. The Pirates recently hired Matt Hague as the new hitting coach, which could quickly improve Pittsburgh's offense, most notably Palacios.

Pirates recent hire in Matt Hague could positively impact outfielder Josh Palacios

In 23 games with the Pirates in 2024, Palacios batted a mediocre .224 with two home runs and nine RBI. His OPS sat at .677 and was accompanied by a wRC+ of 93 and a strikeout percentage of 15.4%. He actually did very well in Triple-A last season, posting an .861 OPS with five home runs and a 123 wRC+. With where he's at in his career, the major league numbers are more important for him trying to earn a spot.

The good news? Palacios had above-average ranks in hard-hit percentage (47.4%), average exit velocity (89.8 mph), squared-up percentage (27%), and bat speed (72.6 mph). All of these are great when he puts the ball in play, which is something he has struggled with as his whiff rate is below average at 25.9%.

His strikeout percentage is excellent at 15.4%, which would rank highly in the league if he had enough at-bats, but his whiff has hurt him. The issue for Palacios is making more contact. He puts the ball in play to avoid striking out, which is a plus, but earlier in the count, he sees a lot of swings and misses, which often puts him in a hole.

Hague can help Palacios improve his contact. Last season, the Blue Jays had a contact percentage on all pitches of 79.7%, while Palacios had just 77.9%. With contact on out-of-the-zone pitches, Toronto had a 67.5% rate and Palacios just 61.1%. Lastly is contact on pitches inside the strike zone — the Blue Jays had an 87.1% rate, while Palacios just 84%. Toronto was ranked inside the top six of the league in each of these as well.

Hague has proven the ability to teach good contact approaches at the plate. Palacios has shown that when he makes contact, he can hit it hard and square it up. If Hague can help Palacios gain more consistency with his contact, then he could become a solid bat in the Pirates lineup.