Stallings takes the lead behind plate
Team also hopes for boost in run production
Jacob Stallings was chatting with one of his friends recently when that person made an interesting — yet somewhat scary — point. Whether it’s the umpire over his shoulder or players standing in the batter’s box, the Pirates catcher seemingly would be at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 because of his high-traffic workspace.
“They asked how I felt about that, and I said, ‘Well, I hadn’t thought about it, but thank you for bringing it to my attention,’ ” a good-natured Stallings said on a Zoom call with local reporters at summer camp workouts at PNC Park.
The point was serious, a little funny and also poignant. After being designated for assignment last season, even Stallings couldn’t have predicted that he might wind up as one of the Pirates pivot points for success in 2020.
It goes without saying that the Pirates need more offense from their catchers. Last year, the group finished last in Major League Baseball in home runs (9, tied) and RBIs (47) and 28th in MLB (and last in the National League) in OPS at .620.
While Stallings was a pleasant surprise with his defense, developing into one of baseball’s better pitch-framers to complement what already were strong throwing and blocking tools, the Pirates catchers need to get a little better.
In Stallings’ case, he said he has been working on a couple of things, building on much of what he did last year and also receiving pitchers better at the top of the strike zone, a must in today’s game.
Stallings actually will be dealing with plenty of important pitches this season, from the curveball that Trevor Williams wants to bring back to Joe Musgrove’s adapted two-seamer and Mitch Keller’s nasty breaking stuff.
No matter who’s on the mound, Pirates pitchers love throwing to Stallings and seem to appreciate his relaxed nature, movement behind the plate and the amount of time he spends game-planning. Musgrove talked about how it has allowed him to basically shut off part of his brain. Instead of worrying about tendencies, scouting reports or reading swings, Musgrove simply can follow Stallings’ lead.
“I can just focus on pure execution and the intensity, rather than having to run all kinds of game plans through my head,” Musgrove said.
“Me and him are right on the same page, so it’s been nice.”
Pirates manager Derek Shelton has grown to appreciate Stallings’ professionalism, a compliment you could take a few different ways. Something Shelton mentioned specifically was how Stallings has been able to transport a game plan from the meeting room onto the field, nailing different intricacies and also mixing what he knows with what he sees.
Stallings added another layer to this when he told a story about working with Musgrove for day games, suggesting to his pitcher that maybe he should try getting up a little earlier for them to ensure his body is ready even sooner than he might have previously.
“That builds trust,” Stallings said. “And I think he saw some improved performance during day games as the season went on.”
In addition to the Pirates needing more offense out of Stallings, backup Luke Maile and third-stringer John Ryan Murphy, they also need Stallings to stay healthy — both with normal stuff and clear of COVID-19.
Stallings said he didn’t know if anything could really be done with how close he is with umpires on every pitch. And, obviously, nobody is going to ask the batter to move in the box.
It’s seemingly just the cost of doing business, which heightens the importance of everything else.
“We have such a good group of guys that we don’t want to pass it to each other,” Stallings said. “It’s a different world we live in, and you just have to be careful. We’re trying to be as careful as we can for sure.”
Masks and gloves are worn. Food is ordered ahead of time and picked up in individual packages. There’s hand sanitizer everywhere and separate water bottles, leading Stallings to believe the Pirates are doing everything imaginable to pull this off.
“Me and him are right on the same page, so it’s been nice.”
— Joe Musgrove, Pirates starter