Pittsburgh Pirates: Two Batters Benefitting From a High Batting Average on Balls in Play

A high BAbip has benefited these two Pirate players since their promotions

Jul 19, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jared Triolo (19)
Jul 19, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jared Triolo (19) | Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
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Liover Peguero

The second of these two players is another infielder. That infielder is Liover Peguero. While Peguero has impressed in his brief time in the major leagues this season, he has also benefitted from a high BAbip.

Peguero has 53 plate appearances with the Pirates since joining the club last month. Peguero has hit for a .260/.288/.480 slash line with a 105 wRC+ and a 104 OPS+ since being promoted. He's also hit his first 3 MLB home runs, as well as a pair of doubles.

Peguero's BAbip checks in at .370, which, while likely still unsustainably high, it's not nearly as unsustainable as a BAbip that's over .400. Additionally, it indicates that Peguero should not be due for as much regression as Triolo.

The biggest difference between the two as hitters has been the power. Peguero's .480 slugging, .220 isolated slugging (ISO), and 10% extra base hit rate all dwarf those of Triolo. This has led to Peguero being a positive offensive WAR player this season.

So, whose numbers are more sustainable? Well...

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