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Pittsburgh Pirates: Two Players Who Need to Improve in 2023
Looking ahead to the 2023 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates need these two players to take a step forward
While the Pittsburgh Pirates are not expected to compete for a postseason berth in 2023, it should still be a season of improvement for the club. Even if the club finishes under .500, they can still take steps forward on the field.
By the end of the 2023 season things could be trending upward for the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, in order for that to happen, there are players who need to take a step forward with their progression in 2023.
Oneil Cruz may seem like an obvious choice for this list. After all, he has the potential to be one of the biggest power hitters in all of baseball. However, due to what he showed in his final 200 plate appearances last season after having a chance to adjust to MLB pitching, he will be left off for now.
Cruz aside, there are still multiple players the Pirates will be looking at to take a step forward in their development this season. Today, we will focus on two of those players. That focus will begin with a player the team will be looking upon to make big strides offensively.
Third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes
There is no denying what Ke'Bryan Hayes can do defensively. He is the best defensive third baseman in baseball. Gold Glove Awards be damned, defensive metrics will tell you that is the truth about Hayes. Hell, he might be the best defensive player in all of baseball regardless of position.
Offensively, however, Hayes has yet to recapture what he showed during his debut month of September 2020. Last season, he posted an 88 wRC+ and an 87 OPS+ in 560 PAs. In his MLB career, he owns a wRC+ and OPS+ of 97 in 1051 PAs. For reference, 100 is considered league avergae for both wRC+ and OPS+.
Even with his offensive struggles, Hayes was 4+ WAR player last season due to his defense. If he can become an even league average to slightly above league average hitter in 2023, you might be looking at a 6 WAR player and those are a rarity.
There is reason to believe Hayes can make those strides offensively. He has always hit the ball hard. His hard hit rate was in the 84th percentile of baseball last season while his average exit velocity was in the 85th percentile. For his career, he owns a 47.2% hard hit rate and an average exit velocity of 90.2 MPH. League average is 35.8% and 88.4 MPH.
The offensive issue for Hayes has been not getting enough lift on the ball. His career ground ball rate of 52.0% is too high. If Hayes can lift the ball more, improving his launch angle and hitting more fly balls in 2023, then he should make the offensive strides that the franchise needs from him.
Starting pitcher Roansy Contreras
Roansy Contreras was acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates as the center piece of the Jameson Taillon trade following the 2020 season. It did not take Contreras long to shoot up prospect boards on his way to becoming a top 100 prospect in baseball.
The 23-year-old Contreras possesses all the tools needed to be a top of the rotation starting pitcher in the majors. While is changeup remains a work in progress, he throws a power fastball that is a plus pitch and both his slider and curveball can be elite pitches.
Contreras made his MLB debut with a start at the end of the 2021 season, but got his first extended MLB action as a 22-year-old last season. He posted a 3.79 ERA, 4.38 FIP, 9.6% walk rate, and a 21.1% strikeout rate in 95.0 innings pitched.
In some starts Contreras looked like an ace, in others he struggled. That is exactly what you would expect from a young starting pitcher, especially one who was pitching in the majors at just age 22. Now, the Pirates need him to take a step forward.
Contreras taking another step forward toward being a top of the rotation starting pitcher would be a big boost for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023 and beyond. Not only would it help the Pirates win more games this season but it would also give them the ace that they can build their starting rotation around for the next 5+ years.