The all-time Spring Training Pittsburgh Pirates team

The best line-up based on performance by Pittsburgh Pirates' players in Spring Training.
Atlanta Braves v Pittsburgh Pirates
Atlanta Braves v Pittsburgh Pirates / Julio Aguilar/GettyImages
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Mar 3, 2008; Clearwater, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Luis Rivas bats during the third
Mar 3, 2008; Clearwater, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Luis Rivas bats during the third / Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

Second base
Luis Rivas

Luis Rivas was a speedy light-hitting middle infielder for the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians from 2000 through 2007, batting .262/.307/.385 with a .302 wOBA and 79 wRC+. Rivas was a member of the 2008 Pirates but had a career-worst season with the bat, hitting .218/.267/.311 with a 51 wRC+.

During that Spring, however, Rivas looked like Tony Gwynn 2.0. Rivas hit .368/.455/.544 with a .441 wOBA, and 162 wRC+. Rivas only managed a .175 isolated slugging percentage. But he walked (13.4 percent) over twice as often as he struck out (six percent) in 67 plate appearances. He still remains the only Pirates’ Spring Training hitter with a BB:K ratio over 2.00.

But that’s mostly true for the rest of MLB. There have only been 110 instances of a player having a 2.00+ BB:K ratio in 50+ plate appearances in a Spring Training season. Rivas leads all Pirates’ Spring Training hitters in batting average, OBP, and wOBA and is tied with Adam Frazier in wRC+.

Honorable mentions: Adam Frazier, Delwyn Young, Jose Castillo