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Few bright spots for Pirates

3 min read

Some thoughts on the Pirates near midseason:

When the Pirates promoted prized prospect Austin Meadows from the minors, they could not have guessed what a successful move it would turn out to be.

The 23-year-old showed he could play any outfield position, had a potent arm and could run well.

But his hitting was what surprised many. Meadows, heading into last night’s game against the New York Mets, was hitting .327 with five home runs, 11 RBI, two triples and six doubles in 31 games.

Usually, adding an offensive boost like that to the lineup can spark a winning streak or at least support a turnaround for a bad team.

The exact opposite has happened. Since Meadows’ call-up, the Pirates have lost 24 of 34 games through Sunday.

Don’t worry. It’s not his fault. The Pirates have been in a collective slump at the plate for weeks.

There are many culprits.

Outfielder Corey Dickerson has not homered since May 4 and has just one RBI in June. His .299 batting average is deceiving because of his strong start.

Second baseman Josh Harrison came out of an 0-for-18 drought and has just two extra-base hits this month.

Outfielder Gregory Polanco is looking more and more like a bust. His batting average has hung around the Mendoza Line (.200) and he has just one home run in the last 31 games.

Outfielder Starling Marte has seen his batting average fall 33 points in June and has scored just six times over that period.

And infielder Sean Rodriguez is 1-for-25 in June, is hitting just .145 and his defense has been substandard. Maybe the cruelest cut came on Sean Rodriguez Bobblehead Day Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, when he went hitless, struck out twice and made an error that allowed a run to score.

The power dropoff of first baseman Josh Bell is a concern. After hitting 24 home runs and driving in 90 last season, Bell is on pace to produce eight home runs and 74 RBI.

So, Meadows stands out on a team of underperforming players. Until that somehow turns around, wins will be hard to come by, no matter how well he plays.

How to fix it?

Abandon the four-outfielder rotation and play the three best, even if it means sitting Polanco and his large salary. Get some consistency in the lineup. Rodriguez’s playing time should be cut, then he should be too when Jung Ho Kang is ready to return. Finally, give Jose Osuna more playing time at first base.

  • Not even Andrew McCutchen would save the Pirates from a losing season. In fact, he would be a target for criticism. The 31-year-old outfielder is having an underwhelming year. He is on pace to hit 16 home runs and drive in 64 runs, his fewest since 2010. There is a lot to blame owner Bob Nutting for but the trade of McCutchen, and his $14 million contract for this season, is not one of them.
  • The Pirates have the fourth-lowest attendance in baseball with an average of just 17,555. Only the numbers of Oakland, Tampa Bay and Miami are lower. Some claim they stay home because of their dislike of Nutting and his penny-pinching ways in running the team.

It might be a legitimate complaint except attendance has never been eye-popping no matter who owned the team, surpassing the 2 million mark only eight times in the team’s history.

This is not a great baseball area.

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