Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jack Suwinski is struggling mightily and might benefit from some time at Triple-A Indianapolis. It\u2019s no secret that the Pirates offense has had a rocky start to the season. As a team, they\u2019re hitting .206\/.289\/.320, finally getting the batting average past the Mendoza line after their just-completed homestand. At 8-15, they\u2019re in last place in the National League Central Division. There are plenty of culprits. Only Joey Bart and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are hitting with any consistency among the Pirates. But it\u2019s Suwinski and Tommy Pham who have stood out because of the magnitude of their failures.<\/p>\n
Pham is going nowhere. The Pirates didn\u2019t give the 37-year-old a $4.025 million contract<\/a> so they could give up on him after 23 games. They\u2019ll show patience with him as they did<\/a> with Rowdy Tellez last year.<\/p>\n Suwinski, however, is another matter. He still has a minor league option left. At this point in the season, quoting batting averages doesn\u2019t make a lot of sense. Until a hitter gets to 100 or so at-bats, averages go up and down like yo-yos, as the late Pirates broadcaster Bob Prince used to say. But in this case, your correspondent will quote Suwinski\u2019s batting average anyway, to compare it to certain analytical data. Thus, after Easter Sunday\u2019s action, Suwinski, a left-handed batter, is hitting .128 (5-for-39). He\u2019s also struck out 19 times in 45 plate appearances, an alarming and unacceptable 42.2 percent.<\/p>\n Now for a bit of good news. Wait, there\u2019s good news regarding Suwinski? Actually, yes \u2013 when he hits the ball. He carries a 45 percent hard-hit rate and a 40 percent line-drive rate. Both are above major league average. The latter is well<\/em> above major league average. According to FanGraphs, this translates to a .223 xBA, a striking differential from his actual batting average. Thus, besides being a victim of his inability to make contact, he\u2019s also been a victim of bad luck. Good things might happen if he could cut down on the strikeouts that have earned him the \u201cSuwhiffski\u201d moniker hung on him by hard-thinking social media denizens.<\/p>\n All of this is a long-winded way of saying that the Pirates aren\u2019t doing themselves or Suwinski any favors by keeping him on the big club. On the one hand, he might benefit from more consistent playing time. On the other hand, he\u2019s done nothing to earn it. It\u2019s the major leagues. Suwinski has to get right on the Pirates\u2019 timetable, not his. If he can\u2019t do that, he belongs in Triple-A.<\/p>\n General manager Ben Cherington recently told the local media that any improvements to the offense will have to come internally at this point. While those remarks were disappointing to frustrated Pirates fans, they were realistic. It\u2019s too early in the season for meaningful trades to occur. Unfortunately, the Pirates organization isn\u2019t blessed with an overabundance of major league-ready hitters. Of their top 30 prospects, only three are non-pitchers who have made it as far as Triple-A. Furthermore, it may be a while before the Bucs can welcome Nick Gonzales and Spencer Horwitz from the injured list. Horwitz has just begun rehabbing his wrist after offseason surgery<\/a>. Gonzales\u2019s return from a nondisplaced ankle fracture<\/a> will take longer. Let\u2019s look at the limited choices the Pirates have to replace Suwinski.<\/p>\n Pirates\u2019 Spencer Horwitz nearing start of rehab assignment https:\/\/t.co\/IKblSRLMXa<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 WPXI (@WPXI) April 20, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nPirates Should Return Jack Suwinski to Triple-A<\/h2>\n
Who Replaces Suwinski for the Pirates?<\/h3>\n
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