The ideal Pittsburgh Pirates lineup when June begins

Shortstop: Isiah Kiner-Falefa

The Pirates acquired infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the Toronto Blue Jays at last year's trade deadline. Although he hit well with the Blue Jays, Kiner-Falefa only slashed .240/.265/.322 with a .257 wOBA and 60 wRC+ through his final 215 plate appearances of the season. IKF has never been a big power hitter and only went yard once. Still, he went from a .292 batting average and .338 OBP prior to the trade to a sub-.250 average, and OBP below .300 after arriving in Pittsburgh.

IKF has rebounded so far into 2025, at least to some degree. In his first 122 plate appearances, the infielder is batting .283/.331/.354 with a .307, and a 92 wRC+. He's getting on base at a rate similar to his pre-trade production with the Jays. He's always been one to strike out at a low rate, and only has an 18% K%, with a whiff rate in the 89th percentile of all batters at 17.5%. But that also comes at the cost of a 5.7% walk rate, a chase rate only in the 35th percentile, and an isolated slugging percentage of .0.71.

IKF's defense at shortstop has always received mixed reviews. He always grades out positively in DRS, but negatively in OAA, and 2025 has been no different. He already has +3 DRS, but -2 OAA in 279 innings at shortstop. He has plenty of career innings logged at second base and third base, but hasn't played a game at the keystone, and only has one start at the hot corner.

Kiner-Falefa is a very solid nine-hole hitter. He gets on base at a solid rate and can turn the lineup over. He may not hit more than 5-to-7 home runs this season, but given who has been leading off most games this season, having a batter like IKF at the bottom of the order is valuable, and sets the table for the top of the lineup.

Left Field: Alexander Canario

So far, most Pirates fans would likely find this lineup acceptable. It's definitely better than what the Pirates have been putting out there for the most part. But here's where many are going to get upset. Alexander Canario is currently penciled in at left field for the Pirates, barring a significant move, whether that be a trade or prospect promotion.

Canario is only hitting .210/.279/.339 with a .278 wOBA and 72 wRC+ through his first 68 plate appearances as a Pirate. He has a respectable 8.8% walk rate and 25% strikeout percentage, but he has struggled to make contact consistently. His whiff rate is 37.5%, and it was above 40% for the vast majority of his Pirates' tenure, only falling below 40% recently.

There is a reason why the Pirates have given Canario a look. He swings the bat very fast, with an elite 77.1 MPH bat speed. That has helped generate a strong 92 MPH exit velocity and 20% barrel rate. He also has a .365 xwOBA and .548 xSLG%. These aren't just good numbers, but are some of the best in the league. Among batters with at least 50 plate appearances this year, Canario ranks seventh in bat speed, sixth in barrel rate, 28th in xSLG%, and 32nd in exit velo.

For what it's worth, Canario is hitting better lately. He has a hit in nine of ten games played in the month of May. He still only has three walks and 10 strikeouts in 38 plate appearances, but has continued to rip the cover off the ball. He clocks in with a 92.5 MPH exit velocity and a 12% barrel percentage. There's almost no player (other than the Pirates' center fielder) you'd want to see cut down his whiff rate more than Canario, because his raw power could be a huge asset if he just made slightly more contact.