3 Teams Pirates Should Hire Hitting Coach From
The Pittsburgh Pirates took a step in the right direction toward fixing their offense by moving on hitting coach Andy Haines.
The Pirates remained among the league's worst offenses, ranking in the bottom 10 in many of the major categories at the plate. Pittsburgh was 23rd in batting average, 24th in runs scored, 25th in home runs, 26th in on-base percentage and 27th in strikeouts.
Turning these things around in just one season will likely be difficult. Beyond just signing proven free agents, a rarity for the Pirates, they need philosophical changes throughout the organization in their approach at the plate if they're going to enter the ranks of the better hitting teams in baseball.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks may have missed the playoffs after winning the National League pennant, but it wasn't because of their offense.
Arizona led the league in runs scored and on-base percentage, was tied for first in batting average, second in hits, slugging percentage and OPS and was in the top five in home runs and walks. To describe Arizona's offense as elite last season may be an understatement.
Arizona isn't just doing it with big-time free agents it signed or players it traded for. It has done it with a blend of players it acquired and prospects who have come up through their system. That shows the Diamondbacks' approach to hitting is paying dividends and could be worth seeking for a team that needs to revamp much of what it does at the plate if it's going to find success next season.
Milwaukee Brewers
Similar to the Diamondbacks, if you look at the major stats for an offense, the odds are Milwaukee isn't far off from the league leaders. The Brewers were third in walks, fourth in on-base percentage and sixth in runs and RBIs.
Better yet, you got to see veterans enjoy the best seasons of their career and rookies light the baseball world on fire. Shortstop Willy Adames has been a revelation for the Brewers since arriving in Milwaukee and set career highs with 32 home runs and 112 RBIs this season. Rookie left fielder Jackson Chourio had a stellar first season, batting .275 with 21 home runs and 79 RBIs.
Chourio would have won Rookie of the Year in most years, but likely won't this season because of the rookie seasons of Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes and San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill.
The Brewers have found the formula to be able to contend on a year-to-year basis through developing players they've acquired and brought in through free agency or trades. Bringing in someone who understands that as the Pirates' next hitting coach could pay huge dividends while also stealing a valuable piece from a division rival, which is always an added bonus.
San Diego Padres
Similar to the Brewers, San Diego has found a way to get the job done by getting career years out of veterans and young players.
You don't need to look any further than left fielder Jurickson Profar and Merrill. Profar made the first All-Star team of his career after setting career highs with a .280 batting average, hitting 24 home runs and driving in 85 runs. Merrill put up eerily similar numbers in his rookie season, batting .292 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs.
As a team, San Diego was tied for first in batting average and struck out the fewest. Getting someone who can just improve the Pirates in those areas would go a long way toward improving their offense next season.
