The Pittsburgh Pirates offense is hurting, and it’s time to look to the triple-A Indianapolis Indians for help. After a promising 8-2 start, the Pirates are 14-16 after Monday’s 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Oakland Athletics. The Pirates rank in the bottom third of the most important offensive categories among the 15 National League teams. They rank second in the NL in drawing walks, but the issue has been the lack of hitting with runners in scoring position (RISP). They’ve dropped to 15th in the major leagues in batting average in RISP situations.
The Ultimate Insult
The ultimate insult came on Monday night in a near-empty Oakland Coliseum. They managed two hits the entire night, one in the first inning and one in the ninth. Even though the A’s starter was Joe Boyle, who entered the game with a 7.06 ERA, 1.800 WHIP, 4.52 FIP, and 6.6 walks per nine innings. Boyle surrendered one hit in his five innings, but he walked four and uncorked two wild pitches. His catcher, Shea Langeliers, saved him from several more wild pitches with his hockey goalie-like reflexes.
The hard-throwing right-hander Boyle tried to hand the Pirates the game. The Pirates wouldn’t take it. A single and two walks loaded the bases with one out in the first inning. Yet the only reason the Pirates got one run out of that situation was thanks to a run-scoring wild pitch. In the second inning, Rowdy Tellez led off by swinging and missing a 3-2 pitch so high above the strike zone that Yao Ming couldn’t have reached it. The downward spiral was underway.
There’s Help For The Pirates Offense In Indianapolis
After 24 games, the Pirates’ triple-A team in Indianapolis has a record of 12-12. While that’s not much better than what the Pirates do, several players have had good seasons with the bat so far. Let’s discuss a few who could help and their chances of getting the call.
The Former No. 1 Draft Choice
It looked grim for Nick Gonzales when he was cut from the squad in spring training. The Pirates’ first pick in the 2020 June Amateur Draft didn’t seem to get much of a look in the spring training competition for second base. He hit just .257 in the spring games and was moved around the infield. After hitting .209 for the Pirates last year, he had a lot of work to do.
Guess what? He’s done it. Gonzales is leading the International League with a .385 batting average. He has a .434 OBP. He’s cut down on his strikeouts (17 in 99 plate appearances vs. 118 in 443 triple-A plate appearances in 2023). His manager, Miguel Pèrez, has used him all over the infield. It once looked like Gonzales was being groomed as a utility infielder. Now he’s getting ready to help wherever the Bucs want to plug him in. It seems natural that the Pirates should look no further than Indianapolis and Gonzales to help their offense. He’s checking all the boxes. The middle infield is where the Pirates could use some punch. Second baseman Jared Triolo is hitting .214, while shortstop Oneil Cruz is just a little better at .241. The bet here is that we see Gonzales in Pittsburgh soon.
The Veteran Catcher
Yasmani Grandal, a 12-year major league veteran catcher who the Pirates signed in the spring, has yet to play a game for them. He’s been rehabbing a spring injury in Indy. With the triple-A club, he’s 5-for-21 with one home run. He hasn’t done much in the majors lately. Across 2022-23 with the Chicago White Sox, he hit a mere .219/.305/.306 with 13 HR and an OPS+ of 72. But he’d help the offense in that his presence would allow the Bucs to send struggling catcher Henry Davis to triple-A where he needs to be. Davis is hitting just .169/.282/.215 with no homers.
Two Second Basemen
Speedy second baseman/center fielder Ji Hwan Bae is also having a great year in triple-A. Unfortunately, his year began on the injured list, and he’s played just 10 games for the Indians. He’s hitting .378/.500/.568. He could add a base-stealing threat to the Bucs’ attack. However, the Pirates likely want him to rehab longer before calling him up. Middle infielder Liover Peguero, who lost his spot to Alika Williams in the spring, is slashing .289/.309/.422. Even so, it’s not enough for the Pirates to bring him up from Indianapolis to help the offense. If the Pirates are going to look to a middle infielder for help, it will be Gonzales. Peguero’s production isn’t much different from what the Pirates are getting from Williams, who is hitting .314/.351/.457. The Bucs would probably increase Williams’ playing time before turning to Peguero.
The Veteran Hitter
Jake Lamb, a 10-year major league corner infielder, is lighting up triple-A, hitting .382/.486/.600. He’s tied for the team lead in home runs with three. So, what’s keeping him in triple-A? Maybe it’s the fact that we’ve seen this movie before. Over 2022-23, he played for three triple-A teams and hit a combined .289/.409/.490, 26 HR, and 105 RBI. But over those same two years, he’s hit .216/.297/.378, 5 HR, and 11 RBI when promoted to the majors. He might be at the point where he’s a triple-A hitter and nothing more. Lamb was once a reliable power hitter for the Arizona Diamondbacks, hitting as many as 30 homers in a season. But that was way back in 2017. He likely won’t be considered for a promotion.
The On-Base Percentage Machine
Lastly, we look at outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba. He offers the on-base skills the Pirates like. His 2024 stat line in Indy is .280/.410/.380. In seven seasons in the minors, his OBP is .383. These skills haven’t transferred to the major leagues yet. He hasn’t had much of an opportunity, either. The guess here is he won’t get one this time, either. The Pirates offense needs help from Indianapolis in the form of hitters who will excel with RISP. Unfortunately for Smith-Njigba, his OBP won’t necessarily solve that problem.
The Last Word
Other former major leaguers in Indy include outfielders Joshua Palacios, last year’s pinch hitter extraordinaire, and Gilberto Celestino and Billy McKinney, who performed well in the spring. However, none is putting up numbers in triple-A that scream for a promotion. The answer to the Pirates’ prayers may lie in Gonzales.
Main Photo Credits: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
