Improved launch angle Hurdle’s new hot topic
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Pirates general manager Neal Huntington repeatedly has said that much of the poor offensive output in 2017 was less about who was on the field than who wasn’t — namely, Starling Marte, Jung Ho Kang and the oft-injured Gregory Polanco.
Speaking with the media Wednesday at Major Legue Baseball’s winter meetings, manager Clint Hurdle echoed those thoughts, hoping the new year will bring better health and more games from the Pirates core. But he also said that core needs to let the baseball fly.
“I know throughout the season we had some conversations about, truthfully, launch angle — what goes into creating a better launch angle and more consistent launch angle,” Hurdle said. “You want to have guys that have bat-to-ball ability, first and foremost. Pitch selection is still critical. So we talked about a number of different things within the hitting mindset or the hitting tablet on which we can improve our core group that are there.”
Offensively, the Pirates have plenty of room to grow. In 2017, they had 151 home runs, the second-worst in the league ahead of only the San Francisco Giants. Their .386 slugging percentage also was second from the bottom and 40 points below league average. The Pirates’ .704 OPS was third-worst in the league and 46 points below league average.
Huntington said adjustments to launch angle are one thing, but the Pirates also need to pick their spots.
“It comes back to getting your pitch to hit and then doing damage with it,” Huntington said. “Getting your pitch to hit is the foundation of it. … It’s discipline to know what you want, to swing at what you want, and then put a good swing on the pitch that you get.”
So as MLB trends more toward higher launch angle, more home runs and more strikeouts, the Pirates will have to make adjustments to keep up. In addition to hoping for fewer injuries and more availability from outfielders Marte and Polanco as well as catcher Francisco Cervelli, Hurdle said the Pirates will have to strike the ball differently.
“The information gets out,” Hurdle said, noting cases such as J.D. Martinez and Chris Taylor. “We all are aware that OPS isn’t on the ground. We had a lot of hard contact numbers on ground balls, and we’re trying to find different ways to accentuate that ball-striking ability because you’re not talking about changing anything dramatically. You’re talking about a quarter-inch, catching a ball in a different area — a line drive versus a ground ball versus a fly ball versus a well-struck, long fly ball.
“So guys are openminded. They’re looking for improvement.”
One of those players is David Freese, who might play less than he did this coming season but, Hurdle said, is working to get more power.
“He’s working on some things this offseason, trying to find a little bit more air with the ball,” Hurdle said.
“I think the group mindset is definitely one of being tougher outs, getting on base more often but also with more damage.”
Confidence in Diaz
The Pirates don’t exactly have a deficit of catchers. Cervelli is signed through 2019. Elias Diaz, now out of minor league options, is certain to make the roster in 2018. And Jacob Stallings is on the 40-man roster as well.
Cervelli’s injury problems, however, severely limited his starts over the past two years. After a careerhigh 133 games in 2015, he appeared in 101 games in 2016 and 81 last season.
So would the Pirates feel comfortable giving a healthy number of starts to Diaz if need be?
The short answer is yes. Diaz received a full-throated endorsement from Hurdle. And later that afternoon, it was also the answer from Huntington.
“I was asking it in the roomthe other day — some of our in-house staff that hasn’t got to see him but looks at the analytics — and I said yes, I believehe can be an everyday catcher,”Hurdle said.
“I believe that the bat’s going to play. One of the things that gave me encouragement this year was the challenge of steppingin for Cervelli, when Cervelli was unplugged and down, and our commitment to him at the time. ... I thought he continued to get better each and every game each and every week. The street cred of catching three shutouts. The ability to throwsome runners out.”
Whether the bat plays, as Hurdle put it, will be a critical question. In 64 games with the Pirates, Diaz hit .224 with one home run, 19 RBIs and a .579 OPS. In 57 games with Class AAA Indianapolis, he hit .266 with two homers, 27 RBIs and a .638 OPS.
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft unfolds Thursday morning, and the Pirates will have pick No. 10 — assuming they use it. “There are players that we’ve talked about,” Huntington said. “We obviously have the spots. ... If there’s a player that we like available, I would anticipate we’ll select one. If not then we’ll not use the pick.” Per Baseball America, top prospects available in the draft include right-handers Burch Smith, Nick Burdi and Mason McCullough and left-hander Austin Davis. Pirates prospects who could be picked include right-hander Montana DuRupau, left-hander Jake Rentz, third baseman Eric Wood and utilityman Pablo Reyes.