BRADENTON, Fla. — Storylines surrounding the Pirates this spring have certainly been significant. Whether or not they sign Bryan Reynolds to a long-term extension. The return of Andrew McCutchen. Issues with AT&T SportsNet and the looming uncertainty over regional sports networks. A group of veterans positively impacting the kids.
Major League Baseball’s rule changes have also been a fascinating study — and we’re far from finished.
They’re shortening games. They’re adding layers of strategy. They could impact how teams, including the Pirates, deploy position players. We’re basically at the one-week mark of spring training games, and already there has been so much learned.
Games the first four full days of Grapefruit and Cactus League play averaged 2 hours, 39 minutes, according to research done by USA Today, which is down from 2:57 in a similar sample last year. Hard to find a negative there.
Getting to that point, though, has meant different things to different players in the Pirates clubhouse. Rich Hill isn’t a fan of the pitch clock. Bryan Reynolds, either. Vince Velasquez hated the idea at first ... but has quickly warmed to it after throwing two scoreless innings in a simulated game Sunday while a clock was used.
“I was a little hesitant, not gonna lie,” Velasquez said. “But if you use it right, it really helps. I think sometimes we tend to overthink things. It’s nice to go out and just throw.”
There are surely some batters who will enjoy the simplicity brought by a pitch clock, but there are also others who want the time to think. Pirates manager Derek Shelton thinks this is the area where the clock will be felt the most, with hitters feeling rushed.
Shelton and his staff have been talking to hitters about being extra aware of the clock, reminding them that they still have plenty of time and imploring them to reassess their routine and ensure it fits. There’s also been talk about using a timeout — one per at-bat — if hitters feel an at-bat is speeding up on them.
“Major league hitters are not taking [timeouts], and minor leaguers [who had a pitch clock in 2022] have an understanding of when to take them,” Shelton said. “Right now, hitters feel rushed because they don’t know. The more they realize they have time, the more they’ll be able to slow it down.”
One additional wrinkle we’ve seen with the pitch clock actually links to another rule change, enlarging the bases, which is theoretically supposed to increase the running game. Maybe the latter does or doesn’t, same with the number of pickoff attempts. But one of the things that has been noticeable with games involves guys running with only 2-3 seconds left, counting on the pitcher to feel rushed and believing he’s not really concerned with the running game.
It’s smart. Not only is MLB now regulating disengagements with the rubber and the number of times a pitcher can throw over to first, but the pitch clock can siphon attention, forcing the pitcher to concentrate on signs, location and pitch execution in a limited period of time.
Henry Davis has provided a smart example of this, stealing two bases so far this spring when the pitch clock was nearly at zero, the catching prospect taking a calculated risk.
“We’re definitely limited with time, which you have to be cautious of,” Velasquez said. “It’s a matter of locking in and knowing what you have to execute, having a game plan.”
Banning the shift has also been hugely noticeable through the Pirates’ first five Grapefruit League games, and not just because of the line drives or ground balls up the middle that are once again turning into singles.
Getting creative with outfield positioning is something the Pirates have tinkered with this spring. It’s a conversation Shelton said he and his staff have been having since last season.
While the new rules dictate teams must have two defenders on either side of second base, cleats in dirt, there’s nothing that says you can’t move your left fielder into shallow right against a lefty pull hitter.
“You can get really creative,” Shelton said. “It’s going to be based on personnel. It’s going to be interesting to see what teams do, including us, as you get later in games or face guys with extreme splits.”
More pliable outfield usage has ripple effects, changes that are especially pertinent to the Pirates. It could impact how the Pirates use Connor Joe, an outfielder with an infield background; shifting into shallow right creates a hybrid role.
While the Pirates try to maximize the amount of ground they'll be able to cover, it looks like it’ll be Reynolds in left and Suwinski in center field on opening day, with Andrew McCutchen handling right field.
Looking at range runs saved (FanGraphs) and outs above average (FanGraphs), Suwinski has fared better than Reynolds, though it should also be noted that the latter wasn’t a Gold Glove finalist by accident in center field in 2021.
Either way, no longer being allowed to shift has certainly made the Pirates (and likely other MLB clubs) rethink how they’re using their outfielders. One week in, it's actually made them rethink a lot of stuff.
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: March 2, 2023, 6:05 p.m.
