Who has advantage in Pirates' fourth outfielder battle ahead of spring training?

Following the addition of Tommy Pham to the outfield, the Pirates are left with a battle for the fourth spot in the outfield. That will be between Jack Suwinski and Joshua Palacios, two guys who have struggled to earn a guaranteed spot, given their performances in their career thus far.

With the way the 40-man roster sits now, those two and Ji Hwan Bae are the three outfielders on the roster that do not have starting spots. Bae would be the worst of the bunch, so that leaves these two to battle it out this spring. One major difference between the two is that Palacios is out of minor-league options, while Suwinski has one remaining.

That means that Palacios cannot be sent to the minor leagues without clearing waivers, so the only way he could get to Indianapolis this season is if the Pirates designate him for assignment and no teams claim him.

That gives Palacios a bit of an edge thus far, but even without that inherent advantage, his numbers during his short MLB stint in 2024 also seem to make "Suwinski to Triple-A" the more likely outcome.

Joshua Palacios may have an edge over Jack Suwinski in the Pirates' fourth outfield spot battle.

Suwinski enters 2025 burdened by the huge decline that stalked him in 2024. His OPS dropped from .793 to .588. and his wRC+ went from 112 to 62, which led to him being optioned to Indianapolis. He did not do anything in Triple-A to prove that it was just a slump, either, so he has a lot to show during the spring in order to beat out Palacios.

Palacios did not do much at the big league level in his 23 games, yet his 93 wRC+ and .677 OPS were not awful. Additionally, he displayed great plate discipline, with a 12.8% walk rate and a strikeout percentage of just 15.4%. He also put together a great hard-hit rate of 47.3% and chased at an excellent 22.4% clip.

The bat is the important thing for the Pirates this season, and whoever excels the most at the dish will win the job. Right now, it appears more likely that Palacios will earn the spot, given his lack of options and his recent success in Pittsburgh compared to Suwinski's. But, in order to prove us right, he still has to hit.