Pittsburgh Pirates Face Hitting Woes: A Look at the Need for Change
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Right now, the Pittsburgh Pirates are having a hard time hitting the ball in a good way. After a torrid start which saw them have one of the best records in Baseball, the team's success fell off as did their ability to produce runs. They quickly went from one of the best teams in Baseball to one of the worst over the course of a 2 month period.
Currently, the Andy Haines led offense has ranked 28th out of 30 teams in batting average, which shows how often they hit the ball safely. Their OPS ranking is 24th, and that means they're not doing so great at getting on base and hitting for power. Also, they're 25th in runs batted in, which means they're not so good at bringing their teammates home.
When a baseball team has trouble hitting, it's not just the players' fault. Coaches play a big role in helping players hit better. The Pirates have a hitting coach, and he's been with the team for a while. Even though the team is having a tough time hitting, the Pirates are still keeping the same hitting coach. Some people are wondering if this is the right choice, especially since the team's hitting isn't getting better.
In baseball, hitting is super important. Teams that hit well usually win more games. Crazy concept but true. When a team like the Pittsburgh Pirates is not doing well in hitting, it's not a good sign. The fact that they have let Andy Haines stick around is showing a sign of complacency with the team's performance. I know I am not seeing any real progress being made overall. So what are the people with the Pittsburgh Pirates seeing?
The Pirates' decision to keep their hitting coach even though the team is struggling is a bit confusing. People like to see improvement, and it seems like the team needs a new plan to get better at hitting. Shelton can be just as easy to blame, after all, he is the head coach and allows this approach at the plate to continue.
The Pittsburgh Pirates problems with hitting may not be just because of Andy Haines, but someone has to answer for the regression of the offense and the lack of progress being made by the younger hitters. I believe that Haines will be let go but this should have happened already, we will see what the end of August brings to the Pittsburgh Pirates.