2018 Remarkable! Season Preview – Pittsburgh Pirates

by | Mar 9, 2018 | Baseball

 

2017 Record: 75-87 (4th in NL Central)

The Pittsburgh Pirates traded away Andrew McCutchen, their franchise star, to the San Francisco Giants and Gerrit Cole, the ace of the pitching staff, to the Houston Astros in the offseason. They acquired Corey Dickerson to fill the void in the outfield. The starting staff is filled with young talent and led by veteran Ivan Nova. Here’s our Remarkable! season preview.

 

Starting Pitchers

 

Ivan Nova
  • He recorded 80 of his 131 strikeouts (61.1%) with his curveball in the 2017 season — 2nd highest among qualified SPs in MLB; League Avg: 17.4%.

  • Opponents hit .433 against Ivan Nova (29-for-67) in late innings in 2017 — worst among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .263.
  • He induced opposing right-handed batters to ground into 18 double plays in 86 opportunities (20.9%) in 2017 — 8th highest among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 12.5%.

 

Chad Kuhl
  • He allowed a slugging percentage of .754 (43 Total Bases / 57 ABs) on changeups in 2017 — 2nd worst among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .425.
  • He had an average fastball velocity of 95.5 MPH in the 2017 season — 10th highest among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 92.1.
  • He allowed a slugging percentage of .251 (46 Total Bases / 183 ABs) on curves and sliders in 2017 — 11th best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .372.

 

Trevor Williams
  • Opponents hit .115 against Trevor Williams (9-for-78) as a starter on inside fastballs in the second half of the 2017 season — 2nd best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .270.

  • As a starter, he allowed an OPS of .547 (81 PAs) with RISP in the second half of 2017 — 16th best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .789.
  • As a starter, he allowed a slugging percentage of .279 (12 Total Bases / 43 ABs) on the first pitch of at-bats in the second half of 2017 — 5th best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .587.

 

Joe Musgrove
  • He struck out 26.3% (56/213) of left-handed batters he faced in the 2017 season — 4th best among non-qualified SPs in MLB*; League Avg: 19.6%.
  • He walked 12 of 213 left-handed batters (5.6%) in the 2017 season — 2nd best among non-qualified SPs in MLB*; League Avg: 9.2%.
  • He threw his slider 35.8% of the time (119/332) in late innings in the 2017 season — 4th highest among non-qualified SPs in MLB; League Avg: 19.3%.

*Includes innings thrown as a reliever

 

Jameson Taillon
  • Hitters chased 237 of Jameson Taillon’s 761 fastballs out of the zone (chase rate of 31.1%) in 2017 — 5th highest among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 23.7%.
  • He recorded 71 of his 125 strikeouts (56.8%) with his curveball in 2017 — 7th highest among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 17.4%.

 

Tyler Glasnow
  • As a starter, he had an average fastball velocity of 96.5 MPH over the last 30 days of the 2017 season — 3rd highest among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 92.2.
  • As a starter, he had a strike rate of just 49.4% (40/81) over the last 30 days of the 2017 season — worst among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 63.3%.

 

Relief Pitchers

 

2017 Bullpen Ranks

Stat # Rank
AVG .249 18th
OBP .325 18th
SLG .404 15th
OPS .729 14th
BB% 9.1% 16th
K% 21.0% T-24th
GB% 45.9% 13th

 

Felipe Rivero
  • Left-handed batters hit .082 against Felipe Rivero (7-for-85) in the 2017 season — best among qualified RPs in MLB; League Avg: .245.

  • He threw 196 fastballs at 100+ MPH in 2017 — 3rd most among RPs in MLB.
  • Opponents had a miss rate of 53.2% (67/126) against Felipe Rivero on changeups in 2017 — highest in MLB; League Avg: 34.2%.

 

George Kontos
  • Opponents had a miss rate of 46.5% (46/99) against George Kontos on the first pitch of at-bats in the 2017 season — 5th highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 27.6%.
  • He walked 6 of 175 right-handed batters (3.4%) in 2017 — 14th best among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 8.6%.
  • Right-handed hitters have a chase rate of 39.9% (125/313) against George Kontos in 2017 — 18th highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 30.6%.

 

Michael Feliz
  • Opponents had a line drive rate of 32.5% (41/126) against Michael Feliz in 2017 — 4th highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 21.1%.

  • He struck out 35.1% (47/134) of right-handed batters he faced in the 2017 season — 17th highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 23.8%.

 

A.J. Schugel
  • He had a first-pitch strike rate of 68.1% (92/135) in 2017 — League Avg: 59.4%.
  • Hitters chased just 16 of A.J. Schugel’s 121 fastballs out of the zone (chase rate of 13.2%) in 2017 — 4th lowest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 25.2%.
  • He threw his changeup 53.7% of the time (73/136) with two strikes in 2017 — 5th highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 26.0%.

 

Kyle Crick
  • Opponents batted .100 (2-for-20) against Kyle Crick’s fastball over the last 30 days of the 2017 regular season (8 Games) — 3rd best among qualified RPs in MLB; League Avg: .260.

 

Hitters

 

2017 Offense Ranks

Stat # Rank
AVG .244 26th
OBP .318 21st
SLG .386 29th
OPS .704 28th
BB% 8.5% 18th
K% 19.8% 8th
QAB 2548 21st
wOBA .312 28th

 

Josh Bell
  • He averaged 4.18 Pitches per Plate Appearance (2,002/479) versus RHP in the 2017 season — League Avg: 3.9.
  • He had a line drive rate of just 18.0% (51/284) on fastballs in 2017 — League Avg: 22.3%.
  • He had a groundball rate of 51.6% (225/436) in 2017 — 15th highest among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 45.3%.

 

Starling Marte
  • He had an OBP of .396 (169 PAs) at home in 2017 — 14th best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .331.
  • He had a groundball batting average of .313 (40 GB hits out of 128 GBs) in 2017 — tied 19th among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .249.
  • He attempted to bunt for a hit on 44 pitches in his 339 plate appearances (13.0%) in 2017 — 4th highest among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 2.1%.

 

Francisco Cervelli
  • He batted .559 (19-for-34) on the first pitch of at-bats in the 2017 season — 2nd best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .348.

  • He chased 20.8% of pitches out of the zone (125/600) in 2017 — 15th lowest among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 29.2%.
  • He batted .365 (19-for-52) on inside fastballs in 2017 — 15th best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .268.

 

Corey Dickerson
  • He chased 43.6% of pitches out of the zone (625/1,435) in the 2017 season — 2nd highest among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 29.2%.
  • He slugged .705 (74 total bases in 105 ABs) on low fastballs in 2017 — League Avg: .444.
  • He batted .290 (49-for-169) on curves and sliders in 2017 — League Avg: .217.

 

Josh Harrison
  • He batted just .171 (20-for-117) on pitches 94 mph or greater in 2017 — 2nd worst among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .258.

  • He has not drawn a walk in his last 51 PA’s against a RHP dating back to August 16, 2017 (Devon Travis has the longest active streak at 104).
  • He had a line drive rate of 27.4% (85/310) versus RHP in 2017 — 3rd highest among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 21.8%.

 

Gregory Polanco
  • He had an OPS of just .364 (45 PAs) against left-handed relievers in the 2017 season — 4th worst among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .718.
  • He had an OPS of 1.092 (51 PAs) against pitchers who have reached at least 80 pitches in a game in 2017 — 18th best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 778.
  • He had 1 HR in 147 ABs (147.0 AB/HR) versus relief pitchers in 2017 — 17th worst among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 29.3.

 

Adam Frazier
  • He had an OPS of 1.015 (165 PAs) with runners on base in 2017 — 4th best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .766.

  • He struck out just 57 times in 454 PAs (12.6%) in 2017 — 8th lowest among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 21.6%.
  • He had a line drive rate of 26.3% (93/353) in 2017 — 14th highest among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 21.7%.

 

Jordy Mercer
  • He drew 29 walks in 145 PAs (20.0%) with RISP in the 2017 season — 8th highest among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 11.1%.
  • He went to the opposite field with just 17.0% of balls he’s put into play (17/100) versus LHP in 2017 — 2nd lowest among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 30.0%.

 

Colin Moran
  • Accrued 12 PA in 2017

 

 

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