Pirates spotted considering creative position shift to supplement Spencer Horwitz

When the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Spencer Horwitz, they likely knew that they’d have to find someone who could offset his splits. Horwitz has proven to be a good hitter vs right-handed pitching, but struggles against lefties.

It seems the Pirates are potentially prepping two players to be potential platoon-mates for Horwitz next season. According to Danny Demilio of PGH Baseball Now, the Pirates recently had catcher Joey Bart and Alexander Canario take ground balls at first base during practice.

Bart would make a great platoon partner with Horwitz, at least based on his splits. He is slashing .333/.422/.530 with a .413 wOBA against lefty pitching since joining the Pirates. Six of his 14 home runs since the start of 2024 have been against southpaws. He is still striking out 28.9% of the time, but has a quality 11.1% walk rate. The only issue is the size of the sample: just 135 plate appearances across nearly two full MLB seasons. How he would fare over a larger sample size, where he is almost exclusively facing left-handers, remains to be seen. But given how well he has done so far, it would make sense to give him an opportunity as Horwitz’s right-handed hitting platoon partner.

Pirates prepping Joey Bart, Alexander Canario for platoon roles?

The biggest question he will have to answer is what caused his drop in power and if he could regain it. Bart hit 13 home runs and had a .198 isolated slugging percentage with a 121 wRC+ in 282 plate appearances last year. This year, he has only had one home run through 246 trips to the plate with an ISO well below .100 at .057. While Bart is getting on-base at a .354 rate, the huge decrease in power is concerning. This likely stems from his drop in fast swing rate, from 51% last year to 42.6% this season. The raw power is still there, however. Bart has an 88.6 MPH exit velocity and 9% barrel rate, both of which are nearly identical to last year's marks at 88.1 MPH and 9.4%, respectively. He would also have a favorable situation if this plan came to fruition, seeing left-handed pitching much more frequently.

Bart’s defense behind the plate definitely comes with some question marks, which is why he is likely under consideration for time at first base. In 1,021 innings caught, Bart has -8 defensive runs saved and -5.9 framing runs. He has also allowed nine passed balls and has been worth -7 blocking runs. This year, his poptime is in the bottom seventh percentile of catchers. His only saving grace behind the plate is his arm strength, as his throws average out at 83.2 MPH this year.

Pirates fans likely wouldn’t mind seeing Bart come back for another season. However, the same likely cannot be said about Alexander Canario. Purchased by the Pirates from the Mets at the end of March, Canario has just a .592 OPS, .266 wOBA, and 66 wRC+ this year. While Canario has one of the fastest swings in the league, he also has a 37.5% whiff rate. His splits against left-handed pitching don’t paint a brighter picture, either. In only 70 plate appearances, he owns just a .575 OPS, .257 wOBA, and 60 wRC+.

Canario is a better outfielder than Bart is a catcher. He has +6 defensive runs saved, but has zero outs above average. He is in the 85th percentile of arm strength, as his throws average 89.4 MPH. According to Baseball Savant’s metrics, he is about average in terms of route running and jumps on flyballs.

If this is the route the Pirates opt to go down, the best option for them is to see what Bart can do at first base. He has had far more success in the Major Leagues than Canario has. Many catchers make the move from behind the dish to first base. Bart has crushed lefty pitching since he was brought into Pittsburgh. Plus, Bart brings more value being a first baseman/catcher than Canario does as a first baseman/outfielder.

Regardless of who it should be, now is the time for the Pirates to let them try out first base at the Major League level. With little to lose, the Pirates could commit to the plan and see if Bart or Canario can play the position.