Jack Suwinski is emerging as one of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top stars. He currently leads the team in home runs as well as on base and slugging percentages. He is also establishing himself as a top outfielder with a cannon of an arm and has shown he can chase down fly balls in the power alley at PNC Park.
Never a Top Prospect
He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the fifteenth round of the 2016 draft. He was seen as a below average hitter with decent home run power, but was never considered a top prospect in their organization. The Padres ended up sending him to the Pirates in the 2021 Adam Frazier deal. While he provided some offense, his defense in all three outfield positions provided the value that the Pirates wanted.
Rookie Season
Pittsburg Pirates Jack Suwinski is emerging and although he did not make the Pirates roster out of Spring Training last season, he was called up to the MLB roster on April 26. For the 2022 season he had 326 at-bats, 19 home runs, and 38 RBIs. He was the first rookie in MLB history with a 3-homer game that included a walk-off home run. Suwinski also was the first Pirates player since 1947 with multiple walk-off home runs in a single month.
In the field, Suwinski started 46 games in left field, 34 in right field, and 10 in center. He finished with two defensive runs saved and led the team with seven outfield assists, demonstrating his ability to play all three positions well enough that he does not look over-matched.
Hitting Coaches
Suwinski has worked on his hitting, especially his approach, with hitting coaches Andy Haines and Christian Marrero. The hitting coaches have worked on his approach and shortening his swing and even helping with his mindset and routine.
There are two issues that he must improve on, the big one being his strikeouts. Last season he had 114 strikeouts in 372 plate appearances. So far this season he has 72 strikeouts in 223 plate appearances. He also needs to improve against left-handed pitching where he has only a .142 batting average in 153 career plate appearances.
One of their Leaders
Jack Suwinski is emerging as one of the leaders of this young team. This team has been playing good baseball, surprising their opponents with their aggressive style of play. They steal bases and mover runners into scoring position. Their pitching is doing just enough to stay in games allowing the offense to deliver the big hits.
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Look for Manger Derek Shelton to continue to pencil him into his lineup on a daily basis. The Pirates have been a pleasant surprise this season and find themselves in the NL Central division race. With the power hitting from Suwinski and Bryan Reynolds this team has strong chance to stay in the race and give them a chance at playoff spot come the end of the season.
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