Our Woeful Offense

[magnumo]

There are 30 major league teams. After 9 games, the Pirates are 30th in batting average, 30th in OBP, 30th in SLG, and 30th in OPS.

But there's some GOOD news:
- The team is NOT last in runs scored (29th of 30).
- The season is only 5.6% over.
- For the most part, Pirate pitching has been decent.
- Brandon Inge reportedly will join the team over the weekend.

 

[thedddd]

Yeah it is bad. I posted the info prior to the arizona series and the only thing they were in last on was doubles at the time (now they are last in that category).

Until they prove anything consistentlly there is abosolutely never a reason to pitch to McCutchen. Marte will get his swings since he still k's a lot but unless they are 1/2 in the lineup there is no hope since no one else is hitting regularly enough to warrant protection for McCutchen.

Sad to be glad for Inge to come back for the DL! I wonder if he will start immediately at 3B to bench Alvarez for a while? Heck almost half his plate appeareances are strike outs right now.

 

[magnumo]

Sad to be glad for Inge to come back for the DL! I wonder if he will start immediately at 3B to bench Alvarez for a while? Heck almost half his plate appeareances are strike outs right now.

Actually, I was being facetious with my comment about Inge coming to the Pirates. I'm disgruntled that he's on the team at all. Although Inge IS reported to be joining the team over the weekend, he's hitting only .087 at Indianapolis (2 for 23 with 8 K's). True, that's better than Pedro's .067 (2 for 30 with 14 K's)..... but I don't see much help in Inge replacing Alvarez. Inge has no upside..... and if Alvarez doesn't break out of his slump and hit at least as well as he did in 2012..... I think we're in for a L-O-N-N-N-G season.

 

[26 elroy face]

I go back to the pre Clemente era, and I can truthfully say that this is the most discussed I have ever been. I can't remember when I hoped a Pirate would hit into a double play, but thats what it has come to.
Pirates trailing 3-2 with no outs and runners on first and third. Marmol pitching and Pedro at bat. I knew the best the Pirates could hope for was a 4-6-3 double play to tie the game. He takes a fastball down the middle, waves at two sliders, and strodes back to the bench. This is the same Pedro that never advanced a runner the month of April last year.
Marte is hitting, but he needs to bat with runners on base. Following Barmes and the pitcher isn't cutting it.

 

[thedddd]

Actually, I was being facetious with my comment about Inge coming to the Pirates. I'm disgruntled that he's on the team at all. Although Inge IS reported to be joining the team over the weekend, he's hitting only .087 at Indianapolis (2 for 23 with 8 K's). True, that's better than Pedro's .067 (2 for 30 with 14 K's)..... but I don't see much help in Inge replacing Alvarez. Inge has no upside..... and if Alvarez doesn't break out of his slump and hit at least as well as he did in 2012..... I think we're in for a L-O-N-N-N-G season.

Oh yeah figured that to be the case. I wasn't that serious either about Inge but Alvarez flat out stinks right now. If he sits for a few and Inge plays and goes 0-12 I guess it is no different than what they got now.

 

[element1286]

We have seen this before from Pedro, both being horrendous and snapping out of it, and being horrendous and losing an entire season. I guess we shall see.

I am worried about the bench guys, you would think that one of Tabata, Snider, and Sanchez would have had a better start.

 

[sychmd]

i still believe our anemic, almost record breaking proportions, offense has something to do with the prep in ST. this is 2 years in a row that we have started out so slow. they dont seem to be at real game speed or sharpness at all.
marte is the only one who has that bounce, pop, 100% in almost midseason form.
it like we dont want to start to fast and burnout so we hold back so we can get to 100% on june 1 and have 4 months in the tank to make our playoff push.

 

[sychmd]

ok, just found this on espn site: from elias -
The Pirates slapped out only five hits in their loss to the Diamondbacks. Pittsburgh has only 42 hits in nine games this season. That's the second-lowest hits total for any team in its first nine games of a season since 1900. The 2003 Tigers had only 38 hits through its first nine games.
oh my, 113 years x 24 teams / yr = 2712. we are 2711 on a list of 2712 starts.

 

[Illinest]

Don't lump Snider in with the other guys. He has a .368 OBP in sporadic playing time. He's one of the few who is doing something with his chances.

 

[Darkstone42]

Don't lump Snider in with the other guys. He has a .368 OBP in sporadic playing time. He's one of the few who is doing something with his chances.

He's one of the few guys who actually looks comfortable at the plate. He should be playing regularly.

 

[sychmd]

home cooking helps.
to bad watson couldnt get burnett a win, but grilli and melancon are a great tandem so far.

 

[magnumo]

Progress!

After 10 games, the Pirates remain 30th of 30 MLB teams in BA (.175), OBP (.252), SLG (.247), and OPS (.499).....

.....wow, a whole team hitting well below the Mendoza line, with a team OPS under .500 .....

.....but after game 10, they moved UP a notch to 28th in runs scored. That IS progress, albeit small.

It's kind of amazing (and a tribute to the pitching) that the team stands at 4 and 6.

Note: No worries..... I do NOT plan to post about this after every game. Just wishing that they would regress to the norm (whatever that is) a little faster. Gotta believe that our hitting coach tandem (and Hurdle) aren't feeling too good right now.

 

[bamabear82]

After 10 games, the Pirates remain 30th of 30 MLB teams in BA (.175), OBP (.252), SLG (.247), and OPS (.499).....

.....wow, a whole team hitting well below the Mendoza line, with a team OPS under .500 .....

.....but after game 10, they moved UP a notch to 28th in runs scored. That IS progress, albeit small.

It's kind of amazing (and a tribute to the pitching) that the team stands at 4 and 6.

Note: No worries..... I do NOT plan to post about this after every game. Just wishing that they would regress to the norm (whatever that is) a little faster. Gotta believe that our hitting coach tandem (and Hurdle) aren't feeling too good right now.

Damn, that's got to be frustrating as shit. I hope y'all pick it up, I think the game is better when teams like the Pirates are good. Considering the nice stadium and great fans, makes it fun to watch when y'all are rolling.
On a side note, I'll trade y'all BJ Upton for McCutchen.

 

[steelparrot]

Only Alvarez really worries me.

At the end of the season Barmes and Martin will be within 10% of their respective career %, not that they are good.. At least Martin walks alot.

Walker doesnt have enough abs for his career stats to be a great indicator of a seasons performance, he has alot of breakout potential imo.


As for Pedro, his floor is as low as his ceiling is high... his career numbers dont really mean anything imo.. His stats could be any where at the end of the season imho. At least he got a hit to LF last night, maybe thats a good sign.

As for Snider, Tabata and Sanchez, we have strength in numbers here. Snider doing ok, Sanchez taking his walks at least, and well Tabata hes kinda like Pedro imo, with a lower ceiling.

 

[magnumo]

The offense is awakening, perhaps??

 

[Illinest]

I'd say it's more like Neil Walker awakening and also finally starting to use Travis Snider.

Marte has been as good as I'd hoped. I was pretty bullish on him anyways and I feel vindicated both by his high BA AND his high strikeout rate. It was my belief that his strikeout rate did not necessarily preclude him from being a productive hitter.

McCutchen, Jones, and (sad to say) Alvarez have all been about what we expected them to be. Jones a little hot, McC a little cold. Both still within normal range for them.


The main difference in my opinion is that Walker looked like ass the first two weeks but now he's hitting the ball. Now if Alvarez goes on a tear I think that the Pirates could ride their lineup to some blowout wins. I think that Irwin, Sanchez and McDonald have done an excellent job of demonstrating how that could be necessary.


Still - I'm encouraged. I like Marte a lot.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[Darkstone42]

The Pirates' offense has approached league average.

I don't know if anyone had noticed, but we're just below the mid-point in most offensive statistics. And with new talent added to the roster, talent which seems to be contributing, I can only imagine we'll continue to climb the rankings.

 

[Etrius24]

It is pretty much the end of the year...So I am not sure how much the Bucs will climb in the rankings..

But that does not matter... with Byrd, Buck, and Morneau... and soon to get Marte back..The Bucs might be peaking offensively at the right time in the season.

They just got grilli back and I read again a couple of days ago that Wandy is ready to make a rehab start maybe?? and that Locke is ready to start pitching again...So the health and depth of our pitchers is looking up also..

Would be amazing if they could somehow get everyone back healthy and productive for October.

 

[mtm166]

The Pirates' offense has approached league average.

I don't know if anyone had noticed, but we're just below the mid-point in most offensive statistics. And with new talent added to the roster, talent which seems to be contributing, I can only imagine we'll continue to climb the rankings.

Is this the equivalent of setting the ship for ludicrous speed?