Esmerlyn Valdez’s recent skid has put a bigger Pirates problem into sharp focus.
The Rookie of the Year candidate has cooled off since the All-Star break, and the numbers tell the story: in 23 games, Valdez is hitting .157/.368/.371 with four home runs. That slump matters, but it also says plenty about the roster around him. The Pirates have leaned so hard on a thin, awkwardly built lineup that Valdez’s struggles now feel magnified.
Part of the issue is simple math. Valdez is one of the few right-handed bats the Pirates run out on a regular basis.
Four players - Jake Mangum, Bryan Reynolds, Endy Rodríguez, and Ronny Simon - are switch-hitters, but each of them is generally better from the left side. Henry Davis, Rafael Flores Jr., Jared Triolo, and Jhostynxon Garcia are right-handed, though none looks like a reliable spark for the offense.
That leaves Nick Gonzales and Valdez as the main right-handed threats. The Pirates at least trimmed one piece from that group when they cut the right-handed-hitting Marcell Ozuna on August 5.
The result is an offense that is ill-suited for left-handed pitching. Pittsburgh’s OPS against lefties is almost 100 points worse than what it posts against right-handers, and the strikeouts pile up too: the Pirates’ 25.7% strikeout rate against lefties is the worst in the National League. When Valdez goes quiet, that weakness becomes impossible to ignore.
There is some help on the way, at least in pieces. Konnor Griffin’s return from the IL should give the lineup a boost.
Third-base prospect Murf Gray also brings a right-handed bat, and he does it with force. At Double-A Altoona, where Gray is now, the lineup is built around just one non-righty besides him: switch-hitting infielder Keiner Delgado.
Even with those additions, the system still doesn’t offer much in the way of right-handed power. That is why the offseason points toward a bigger fix.
With the bullpen strengthened by the deadline moves, the front office can turn its attention to finding a right-handed slugger. Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki are two names that could fit that bill, and either would have to fight with Reynolds and Valdez for corner-outfield playing time while likely seeing time at DH as well.
The larger point is that Valdez was never supposed to carry this kind of load by himself. He is a dangerous slugger, no question. But expecting him to be the lone source of offense against left-handed pitchers is too much, and the Pirates’ lopsided lineup may be part of the reason his bat has gone cold.
In Other News...
Pirates Make A Paul Skenes Decision Fans Will Be Watching Closely
With the Pirates trying to manage Paul Skenes carefully over the stretch, manager Don Kelly announced Friday that the right-handers scheduled start Sunday will be pushed back to Wednesday. The move gives Skenes extra rest, and Kelly made clear it is not tied to any injury concern, a small but important distinction for a club that has every reason to be deliberate with one of baseballs most closely watched young arms.
Lake Bachar will take the ball Sunday against the Red Sox in Skenes place, giving Pittsburgh a different look for a game that had been lined up around its ace. Skenes said he understood the decision and supported it, which only adds to the sense that this is about the bigger picture and not any immediate alarm surrounding his availability. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Outfield Shuffle Puts Spotlight On A Bigger Problem
A day before facing the Red Sox, the Pirates had to reshuffle their outfield again, with Bryan Reynolds sliding into the designated hitter spot and Esmerlyn Valdez moving over to left field. Ronny Simon is set for right field, while Jake Mangum stays in center, a reminder of how much lineup movement Pittsburgh has been asking for as it tries to keep the pieces aligned.
The bigger concern is still the same one that has hovered over this group for weeks: the club is waiting on Oneil Cruz, who is working his way back on a rehab assignment after a hand injury. Until he returns, the Pirates are left to patch together the outfield in ways that can keep the offense afloat, but also underline how much they miss one of their most dynamic players. [Read more 🡒]
Rafael Flores Jr Is Giving Pirates Fans A Reason To Believe
Rafael Flores Jr. has been the kind of midseason spark the Pirates have been hoping to uncover, and the rookie catcher is starting to make himself impossible to ignore. Since arriving from the Yankees, he has flashed the power that made him an intriguing addition while also giving Pittsburgh steady work behind the plate, a combination that can change how a club views its depth chart in a hurry.
His latest burst came over the last two games against the Marlins and Red Sox, when he turned in a string of hard damage that kept the offense moving and helped fuel back-to-back wins. For a Pirates team always looking for young players who can stick, Flores Jr. is giving them a reason to think they may have found one, even if the bigger question is how far this stretch can carry him. [Read more 🡒]