Two dozen games into the Pirates’ season, Andy Haines has seen a little bit of everything.
The club’s hitting coach has been pleased with the Pirates’ high points at the plate, demonstrated through a 9-2 start, while also stressing the importance of more consistent at-bats. The Pirates, after all, just broke out of a six-game losing streak, during which they scored only nine runs.
Such mercurial performances are to be expected from a team currently featuring 10 position players younger than 30 years old.
“We've seen what we're capable of,” Haines told the Post-Gazette prior to Tuesday’s game against the Brewers. “I think everybody can see it across the league. Not just with our guys, but when you have talented players that are on the younger side and not as experienced, it's going to be a little more volatile.
“We've seen that. It’s been volatile just as far as the performance.”
Haines said it’s on the coaching staff to help the Pirates’ younger players acclimate to what MLB competition necessitates on a near-daily basis. Some lessons, Haines said, require individuals like himself to help the Pirates collectively learn as quickly as possible. Others will inevitably be taught through more game reps.
Oneil Cruz and Henry Davis, for instance, have each endured their respective shares of growing pains this season as they inch closer to 162 career MLB games. Haines has been “thrilled” with the commitment from his group at large, as well as where he envisions it’s headed.
While challenging at times, Haines believes the Pirates to be in the midst of an important maturation process.
“It's fascinating to be here with them and go through it,” Haines said. “I'm proud of them and I think, by watching them, you can see it happening in the process they’re going through.”
The returns, albeit early in the year, have been mixed relative to 2023. Just like last season, the Pirates have among MLB’s fewest home runs and are striking out about as often. According to FanGraphs’ wRC+, a metric that calculates expected runs per plate appearance, the Pirates have a below-average offense.
But the club is also walking, reaching base and scoring runs at more frequent rates than in 2023. That’s with lineup regulars like Davis, Jack Suwinski and Rowdy Tellez all hitting below the Mendoza line.
Meanwhile, the production the Pirates have gotten from cornerstones Bryan Reynolds and Ke’Bryan Hayes has mostly been as advertised. Hayes has yet to tap into his power like in the second half of the 2023 season but has been as consistent as any player in the Pirates lineup.
And Cruz, who was mired in a 2 for 26 streak with 15 strikeouts that had him losing a bit of confidence, hasn’t ascended to the potential the Pirates expect of him. He’s also coming off last April’s season-ending surgery for a fractured left fibula. Cruz’s three-hit game on Monday was arguably his most impactful game to date this season.
All told, the youthful cast of characters in Pittsburgh is one Haines has a great deal of confidence in.
“We have a talented bunch,” Haines said. “So that's really what it's about is just meeting the demands of the major-league game. And you don't learn that until you go through enough major-league games. So that’s the fun part. That's the challenging part. It's exciting.
“That's kind of what we all look forward to here in the next 140 games in front of us.”
As the Pirates accrue a larger sample size of games, it will become clearer what the identity of this team is in all facets. In the meantime, Haines is eager to watch the Pirates’ plethora of young position players continue with their development, ebbs and flows and all.
From Haines’ standpoint, he’s already seen plenty of progress. Now, it’s just a matter of repeating approaches and results on a more frequent basis, which can only come with time.
“The sooner guys take a hold of that,” Haines said, “then they're off to the races.”
Andrew Destin: adestin@post-gazette.com and @AndrewDestin1 on X
First Published: April 24, 2024, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: April 24, 2024, 7:48 p.m.
