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Building the best post-trade deadline lineup for the Pittsburgh Pirates
The 2024 MLB trade deadline is officially over and the Pirates did a very good job at improving the roster. This roster shakeup has given Derek Shelton the task of constructing the best lineup possible for producing runs.
With multiple new additions to the team, let's take a look at how the Pirates can optimize their lineup after the trade deadline.
What is the best lineup the Pirates can make now that the MLB trade deadline is over?
Andrew McCutchen, Designated Hitter
The best leadoff hitter for the Pirates is fan favorite Andrew McCutchen. Although he is not having a season like his MVP-winning campaign from back in the day, he is still very productive to the team when he is first in the lineup.
On the season, McCutchen has a solid .704 OPS with 13 home runs and 30 runs batted in. His wRC+ is also at the league average at 100, along with a 11.8% walk rate. One issue that has been a problem for him this season is his career high strikeout rate of 26.3%.
In the leadoff spot, McCutchen has a .240 bating average with 12 home runs and 25 runs batted in. His OPS is .742, which includes an on-base percentage of .332 and a slugging percentage of .410. This season has shown that, if you want the best out of McCutchen, he needs to be in the leadoff spot.
For the Pirates to keep scoring runs, McCutchen needs to remain first in the order.
Bryan Reynolds, Left Field
The overall best hitter on the Pirates this season has been All-Star Bryan Reynolds. The Pirates need to have Reynolds batting second, as he can get on base for the sluggers behind him or move up McCutchen in front of him. He has been a consistently great bat in the order, and someone who the Pirates can count on.
This season, Reynolds has showed off his power with 18 home runs, 20 doubles, and three triples, which has led to a slugging percentage of .476. That slugging percentage headlines an OPS of .827, along with an on-base percentage of .351. He also has driven in 61 runs, and his wRC+ is at 130.
Reynolds is not just getting lucky, either. His expected batting average is at .281 and his expected slugging percentage is at .489, which both rank in the 86th percentile. Reynolds' batting run value of 20 is impressively ranked in the 91st percentile.
Reynolds is a big part of this team's success and needs to continue to bat second.
Oneil Cruz, Shortstop
In the third spot of the order, Oneil Cruz will lead the charge. Cruz has been an overall excellent player this season for the Pirates and is also coming off an exceptional month of July. His defense has been shaky at times, but it has overall improved from his rookie season, along with his bat.
This season, Cruz has hit for a lot of power, with 22 doubles, 17 home runs, and two triples, which has generated his OPS of .758. His slugging carries that OPS, as it sits at .458, and his on-base percentage lags behind at .301. Being aggressive at the plate has helped him drive in 61 runs, but has also led him to a 33.1% strikeout rate.
Cruz continues to impress the baseball world with his ability to rack up hard-hit balls, which come at a 53.4% rate. His average exit velocity is also at 95.3 miles per hour, and that ranks in the 99th percentile. His slugging percentage is already impressive, but his expected slugging percentage is even higher at .495.
The Pirates' young star shortstop should remain the team's No. 3 hitter, and that is the best for the team.
Bryan De La Cruz, Right Field
After acquring Bryan De La Cruz at the MLB trade deadline, the Pirates have a good idea of who will be in the cleanup spot in the order. The right-handed slugger fits right in between two left-handed bats and brings a lot of power to the team.
This season, De La Cruz has hit 18 home runs, which would be tied for first on the team with Reynolds. He has also driven in 51 runs and hit another 19 doubles. His power has brought him a .418 slugging percentage, which goes with a .291 on-base percentage to make an OPS of .709. His wRC+ is a few points below average, but is still not horrible at 96.
Statcast metrics show De La Cruz could have even better numbers, but striking out has been a factor for him. His strikeout percentage is at 26.2%, but his expected slugging percentage is at .466.
The addition of De La Cruz really helps this lineup, but having him in the fourth spot will help even more.
Rowdy Tellez, First Base
Since June 1, Rowdy Tellez has been one of the best hitters in this lineup and is one of the reasons why the Pirates are above .500. His hot streak was very important to this team because, before June 1, Tellez was almost unserviceable.
This season, Tellez hasn't hit for the power he has in the past, but he still has hit nine home runs with a .692 OPS and has driven in 36 runs. His batting average is at .246, which is one of the best marks of his career, but for Tellez to be effective, he needs to hit for more power. His wRC+ is eight points below average at 92.
When Tellez begins to tap into that power, he will be dangerous. He can definitely continue to stay hot at the plate, but an increase in power will be huge for this team. Since June 1, Tellez has a .315 batting average with eight home runs and 28 runs batted in. That stretch has been very impressive, but it cannot stop there.
Consistency with Tellez is key. If he can continue to do what he has done during the summer months, then this lineup will perform even better.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Second Base
Another major league acquisition at the trade deadline was super utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Despite getting hurt, Kiner-Falefa is having a career year at the plate, which is exactly what Pittsburgh needs. He will primarily be at second base for the time being until Nick Gonzales returns from injury.
This season with the Blue Jays, Kiner-Falefa has career highs in wRC+, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and strikeout percentage.
Along with that, he is one home run shy of a career high with seven. In the past, he has stolen 20+ bases in a season, but he only has three this year. That is definitely something the Pirates could try to encourage, but for now it remains something up his sleeve.
His ability to play multiple positions effectively makes him very valuable, as there are many ways to get him in the lineup.
Joey Bart, Catcher
One of Ben Cherington's best trade acquisitions has been Joey Bart and, when healthy, he has been one of the best hitters on this team. He has performed so well at the plate that he's entered the lineup almost every day, aside from when Yasmani Grandal catches Paul Skenes.
This season, Bart has an impressive .825 OPS with seven home runs and 24 runs driven in. His .475 slugging percentage matches with a .350 on-base percentage to create his great OPS. Bart also has a very impressive wRC+ of 130 and his walk percentage is at 10.7%.
Bart is not a qualified hitter for any statistical rankings, but has a very strong hard hit rate of 44.7% and 74.9 mile per hour bat speed, which would both be ranked very highly across the league.
Getting a conistent hitting catcher in Bart is just what the Pirates needed, with struggles from Grandal and Henry Davis. Not only has his offense been great, but his ability to catch runners stealing has also stood out.
Ke'Bryan Hayes, Third Base
One of the biggest disappointments to the Pirates this season has been Ke'Bryan Hayes. In the second half of 2023, Hayes went off, having a career year at the plate and winning the Gold Glove at third base. After a good start to the 2024 season, Hayes began to fall off, and a lingering back injury has kept him from playing to his best ability.
This season, Hayes has a batting average of .239 with three home runs and 23 runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .588, which includes an on-base percentage of .292 and a slugging percentage of .296. His wRC+ is far below average at 66, but his defense keeps his fWAR positive at 0.4.
Hayes does square balls up at a 31.5% rate, which is ranked in the 90th percentile, but the problem is, most of his squared-up balls are on the ground. If he can start hitting the ball more in the air, then he will break out at the plate. Line drives are where his success comes from, as we saw in 2023.
The Pirates need Hayes to heat up at the plate, and there is a lot of room for him to do so.
Michael A. Taylor, Center Field
Like Hayes, Michael A. Taylor has been very productive defensively, and that keeps him in the lineup. Adding De La Cruz helps Taylor stay in daily, as the team needs an everyday center fielder, but his offense at the plate has just not been good all season.
This season, Taylor has a poor OPS of .572, and that includes a .264 on-base percentage and a .308 slugging percentage. After hitting 21 homers in 2023, Taylor has only hit four with the Pirates and has driven in just 19 runs. His wRC+ is very poor at 59 and his strikeout rate is high at 34.1%.
There has not been much productivity out of the bat of Taylor, but if he taps into the 2023 power he displayed, then he could help round out this lineup.
When the Pirates get Gonzales back, this lineup will look better, with Kiner-Falefa getting the bulk of the time in center field and Gonzales returning to second base. For now, though, this is the best lineup the Pirates can run out there daily, post-deadline.
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