{"id":97924,"date":"2025-03-21T15:31:23","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T19:31:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=97924"},"modified":"2025-03-21T15:31:23","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T19:31:23","slug":"pirates-hitting-two-strike-approach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/03\/21\/pirates-hitting-two-strike-approach\/","title":{"rendered":"New Approach to Hitting May Pay Off for Pirates"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With a new hitting coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates comes a new approach to hitting. It just might be working.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Spencer Horwitz on Hitting Coach Matt Hague. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ZYuMY8pDrX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/ZYuMY8pDrX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pirates\/status\/1869528729640427544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Two-Strike Approach is Evident When Pirates are Hitting in Spring<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As the reader probably already knows, the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/11\/13\/pirates-hire-matt-hague-hitting-coach\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">new Pirates hitting coach<\/a> is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/h\/haguema01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-03-21_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matt Hague<\/a>. Nicknamed \u201cThe Hit Collector\u201d during his playing days, he compiled a minor league stat line of .298\/.374\/.427. Unfortunately, Hague couldn\u2019t parlay that into more than 43 major league games from 2012-15 with the Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays. Nonetheless, he comes respected for his knowledge of hitting.<\/p>\n<p>Hague replaced the unpopular Andy Haines. One of the criticisms leveled at Haines was his one-size-fits-all approach for every Pirate hitter. Under his watch, the Pirates were <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/04\/19\/disturbing-trend-pirates-offense\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">striking out<\/a> at an alarming rate. They struck out 1,506 times in 2024, the fourth-most in the major leagues. Too many seemed to be called third strikes. Too many of those seemed to have come with runners in scoring position. That strikeout total surely played a role in the Pirates&#8217; .234\/.301\/.371 slash line. Only six major league teams had a lower batting average. Only three were worse at getting on base.<\/p>\n<p>Hague had to have impressed those Pirates fans who saw his <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/03\/03\/pirates-spring-training-impressions-part-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">interview<\/a> during the game telecast on March 2. He said he\u2019d apply an individualized approach to each hitter based on their skill sets and what they like to do. One noticeable change during the spring exhibition season has been an intelligent two-strike approach that was lacking in 2024. With two strikes, we\u2019re seeing Pirates moving up on the bat handle an inch or two, more conscious of hitting to all fields while expanding the strike zone.<\/p>\n<h3>Numbers<\/h3>\n<p>So far in the spring, the biggest beneficiaries have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/baeji01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-03-21_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ji Hwan Bae<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/d\/davishe01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-03-21_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Henry Davis<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/suwinja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-03-21_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jack Suwinski<\/a>. Each had some work to do to make the team this season. Each has had high strikeout rates during his career. Bae, in particular, has exhibited a tendency to chase. However, each now has a legitimate shot to make the team.<\/p>\n<p>The following table compares strikeout percentages in the spring games as of Thursday to those of the 2024 season. The table reflects only players who played for the Pirates in 2024 and spring 2025. Thus, a <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/02\/07\/pirates-tommy-pham-pros-cons\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">new addition<\/a> like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/phamth01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-03-21_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tommy Pham<\/a>, for example, isn\u2019t included. As the saying goes, we\u2019re comparing <a href=\"https:\/\/usapple.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">apples to apples<\/a>, although this writer never understood why apples can\u2019t also be compared to oranges.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\"><strong>Player<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>SO Pct. Spring 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>SO Pct. 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Difference<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Ji Hwan Bae<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">17.65<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">29.63<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">-11.98<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Joey Bart<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">21.05<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">25.89<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">-4.84<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Billy Cook<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">27.27<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">38.78<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">-11.51<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Oneil Cruz<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">40.00<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">30.22<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">9.78<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Henry Davis<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">25.00<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">36.89<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">-11.89<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Jason Delay<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">40.00<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">0.00<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">40.00<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Nick Gonzales<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">15.79<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">19.12<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">-3.33<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Ke\u2019Bryan Hayes<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">11.11<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">18.94<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">-7.83<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Isiah Kiner-Falefa<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">20.00<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">19.07<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">.93<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Andrew McCutchen<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">20.00<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">25.83<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">-5.83<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Joshua Palacios<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">18.18<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">15.38<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">2.80<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Liover Peguero<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">25.00<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">30.00<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">-5.00<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Bryan Reynolds<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">23.08<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">22.54<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">.54<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Jack Suwinski<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">19.44<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">28.52<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">-9.08<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Jared Triolo<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">22.50<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">26.46<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">-3.96<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Alika Williams<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">26.67<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">22.92<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">3.75<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"156\">Nick Yorke<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">26.32<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">28.57<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"156\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">-2.25<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3>April Come She Will<\/h3>\n<p>If the trend evinced by the table continues, multiplying the figures in the Difference column by each player\u2019s 2024 plate appearances should give a rough idea of a weighted-average effect on the Pirates\u2019 total projected strikeouts in 2025. (Those calculations were performed but aren\u2019t presented here.) The result is that as a team, the Pirates will strike out 84 fewer times in 2025 compared to 2024.<\/p>\n<p>It may not seem like much, but in 2024, an 84-strikeout decrease would have dropped the Pirates from fourth to 12th in the majors in total strikeouts. Hey, Rome wasn\u2019t built in a day.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, it\u2019s acknowledged that the method used to project an 84-strikeout decrease isn\u2019t perfect. Every Pirate won\u2019t get the same number of plate appearances that he got in 2024. In the spring, at least at the start, hitters should be ahead of the pitchers. We\u2019re looking at a small sample size when we&#8217;re looking at spring 2025. I get all that. Nevertheless, if the Pirates are trending toward fewer strikeouts, it can only help their hitting. Whether Hague\u2019s approach is working should be clear by late April.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Photo Credit: \u00a9 Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With a new hitting coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates comes a new approach to hitting. It just might be working. Spencer Horwitz on Hitting Coach Matt Hague. pic.twitter.com\/ZYuMY8pDrX \u2014 Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) December 18, 2024 Two-Strike Approach is Evident When Pirates are Hitting in Spring As the reader probably already knows, the new Pirates hitting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5010,"featured_media":97939,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26,1071],"tags":[610,1374,4875,4809,5720,6221,3070,28806,3434,1087],"class_list":["post-97924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pirates","category-mlb","tag-andrew-mccutchen","tag-bryan-reynolds","tag-henry-davis","tag-isiah-kiner-falefa","tag-jack-suwinski","tag-ji-hwan-bae","tag-kebryan-hayes","tag-matt-hague","tag-oneil-cruz","tag-tommy-pham"],"modified_by":"Lewis Masella, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5010"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97924"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97924\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97940,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97924\/revisions\/97940"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}