Interesting. Numbers speak to the Historical Averageness of the team:
Rob Biertempfel
Pirates team batting average this year: .254
NL average: .247
Pirates OPS: .725
NL avg: .721
Pirates home runs: 157
NL avg: 179
Pirates total bases: 2,218
NL avg: 2,221
Pirates slug: .407
NL avg: .403
Decision to fire coaches may have been based on individual player cases.
Hitting coach Jeff Branson fired
Moderators: SammyKhalifa, Doc, Bobster
Hitting coach Jeff Branson fired
695B57574371525B56535C5B3A0 wrote: Interesting. Numbers speak to the Historical Averageness of the team:
Rob Biertempfel
Pirates team batting average this year: .254
NL average: .247
Pirates OPS: .725
NL avg: .721
Pirates home runs: 157
NL avg: 179
Pirates total bases: 2,218
NL avg: 2,221
Pirates slug: .407
NL avg: .403
Decision to fire coaches may have been based on individual player cases.
Maybe based on individual player cases. However, there was no consistency throughout the entire year. During that one stretch - July-August, they were putting up serious runs; hitting well and then a serious dip for an extended period. This is a byproduct of streaky type hitters. Marte is one; Polanco is one; Bell was one this year. The only good consistent hitter we had was Dickerson. Cervelli wasn't bad; Frazier was solid upon his return and surprising Moran didn't have the mood swings in this average.
Rob Biertempfel
Pirates team batting average this year: .254
NL average: .247
Pirates OPS: .725
NL avg: .721
Pirates home runs: 157
NL avg: 179
Pirates total bases: 2,218
NL avg: 2,221
Pirates slug: .407
NL avg: .403
Decision to fire coaches may have been based on individual player cases.
Maybe based on individual player cases. However, there was no consistency throughout the entire year. During that one stretch - July-August, they were putting up serious runs; hitting well and then a serious dip for an extended period. This is a byproduct of streaky type hitters. Marte is one; Polanco is one; Bell was one this year. The only good consistent hitter we had was Dickerson. Cervelli wasn't bad; Frazier was solid upon his return and surprising Moran didn't have the mood swings in this average.
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SammyKhalifa
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Hitting coach Jeff Branson fired
1A0A0B3C2A2A26490 wrote: Interesting. Numbers speak to the Historical Averageness of the team:
Rob Biertempfel
Pirates team batting average this year: .254
NL average: .247
Pirates OPS: .725
NL avg: .721
Pirates home runs: 157
NL avg: 179
Pirates total bases: 2,218
NL avg: 2,221
Pirates slug: .407
NL avg: .403
Decision to fire coaches may have been based on individual player cases.
Maybe based on individual player cases. However, there was no consistency throughout the entire year. During that one stretch - July-August, they were putting up serious runs; hitting well and then a serious dip for an extended period. This is a byproduct of streaky type hitters. Marte is one; Polanco is one; Bell was one this year. The only good consistent hitter we had was Dickerson. Cervelli wasn't bad; Frazier was solid upon his return and surprising Moran didn't have the mood swings in this average.
Yeah, an average team that never seemed average the entire year--either great or putrid. But looking at just those numbers, the one that sticks out in a bad way is home runs, which points to the corner OFers (Bell in particular) if I were to guess where this is coming from.
Rob Biertempfel
Pirates team batting average this year: .254
NL average: .247
Pirates OPS: .725
NL avg: .721
Pirates home runs: 157
NL avg: 179
Pirates total bases: 2,218
NL avg: 2,221
Pirates slug: .407
NL avg: .403
Decision to fire coaches may have been based on individual player cases.
Maybe based on individual player cases. However, there was no consistency throughout the entire year. During that one stretch - July-August, they were putting up serious runs; hitting well and then a serious dip for an extended period. This is a byproduct of streaky type hitters. Marte is one; Polanco is one; Bell was one this year. The only good consistent hitter we had was Dickerson. Cervelli wasn't bad; Frazier was solid upon his return and surprising Moran didn't have the mood swings in this average.
Yeah, an average team that never seemed average the entire year--either great or putrid. But looking at just those numbers, the one that sticks out in a bad way is home runs, which points to the corner OFers (Bell in particular) if I were to guess where this is coming from.
Hitting coach Jeff Branson fired
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Bobster21
Hitting coach Jeff Branson fired
IMHO, the tipping point was the lack of power from Bell and Moran. Bell was expected to build on his 2017 season of 26 HRs. But he was his own worst enemy with a constantly changing swing that often eliminated any chance of driving the ball. At other times his swing looked good and he hit 12 HRs and drove some to the wall. Hurdle had said they were always working with Bell to to get a consistent swing. Apparently, they felt the batting coaches were unable to get thru to him.
Moran was obtained for 3B in the Cole trade on the heels of his 2017 season when he developed a power stroke with 18 HRs in 302 ABs in AAA. I don't think they would have wanted him if they thought that was a fluke and that he would hit 11 HRs in 415 ABs as a Pirate. Otherwise, Bell had the 2nd best OBP on the team and Moran hit a respectable .277 as a rookie. That's not bad but they were envisioned as corner infielders who would supply HR power. I think NH feels the ability is there (since he made the trade for Moran and doesn't want to think it was a mistake) but needs other coaches to bring it out.
On a side note, there was a plus side to Moran's lack of HRs: we were spared more of Greg Brown's bizarre Irish accent "Don't ya know" that he inflicts upon us when Moran homers. Unfortunately the Pirates were 3rd in the NL in triples which resulted in way more "trip, trip, triple"s than I could stand to hear. :)
Moran was obtained for 3B in the Cole trade on the heels of his 2017 season when he developed a power stroke with 18 HRs in 302 ABs in AAA. I don't think they would have wanted him if they thought that was a fluke and that he would hit 11 HRs in 415 ABs as a Pirate. Otherwise, Bell had the 2nd best OBP on the team and Moran hit a respectable .277 as a rookie. That's not bad but they were envisioned as corner infielders who would supply HR power. I think NH feels the ability is there (since he made the trade for Moran and doesn't want to think it was a mistake) but needs other coaches to bring it out.
On a side note, there was a plus side to Moran's lack of HRs: we were spared more of Greg Brown's bizarre Irish accent "Don't ya know" that he inflicts upon us when Moran homers. Unfortunately the Pirates were 3rd in the NL in triples which resulted in way more "trip, trip, triple"s than I could stand to hear. :)
Hitting coach Jeff Branson fired
153835242332256566570 wrote: IMHO, the tipping point was the lack of power from Bell and Moran. Bell was expected to build on his 2017 season of 26 HRs. But he was his own worst enemy with a constantly changing swing that often eliminated any chance of driving the ball. At other times his swing looked good and he hit 12 HRs and drove some to the wall. Hurdle had said they were always working with Bell to to get a consistent swing. Apparently, they felt the batting coaches were unable to get thru to him.
Moran was obtained for 3B in the Cole trade on the heels of his 2017 season when he developed a power stroke with 18 HRs in 302 ABs in AAA. I don't think they would have wanted him if they thought that was a fluke and that he would hit 11 HRs in 415 ABs as a Pirate. Otherwise, Bell had the 2nd best OBP on the team and Moran hit a respectable .277 as a rookie. That's not bad but they were envisioned as corner infielders who would supply HR power. I think NH feels the ability is there (since he made the trade for Moran and doesn't want to think it was a mistake) but needs other coaches to bring it out.
On a side note, there was a plus side to Moran's lack of HRs: we were spared more of Greg Brown's bizarre Irish accent "Don't ya know" that he inflicts upon us when Moran homers. Unfortunately the Pirates were 3rd in the NL in triples which resulted in way more "trip, trip, triple"s than I could stand to hear. :)
bat wise, absent the power, I was surprised with Moran from an average standpoint. .277 in 415 at bats in first full season ins't bad.
Moran was obtained for 3B in the Cole trade on the heels of his 2017 season when he developed a power stroke with 18 HRs in 302 ABs in AAA. I don't think they would have wanted him if they thought that was a fluke and that he would hit 11 HRs in 415 ABs as a Pirate. Otherwise, Bell had the 2nd best OBP on the team and Moran hit a respectable .277 as a rookie. That's not bad but they were envisioned as corner infielders who would supply HR power. I think NH feels the ability is there (since he made the trade for Moran and doesn't want to think it was a mistake) but needs other coaches to bring it out.
On a side note, there was a plus side to Moran's lack of HRs: we were spared more of Greg Brown's bizarre Irish accent "Don't ya know" that he inflicts upon us when Moran homers. Unfortunately the Pirates were 3rd in the NL in triples which resulted in way more "trip, trip, triple"s than I could stand to hear. :)
bat wise, absent the power, I was surprised with Moran from an average standpoint. .277 in 415 at bats in first full season ins't bad.
Hitting coach Jeff Branson fired
I am not a huge fan of Colin Moran, however, this comparison made me stop and think. Check out the first year stats of the NL’s top third basemen: Eugenio Suarez, Nolan Arenado, and Matt Carpenter:
Age AB 2b HR Ave OPS
Suarez 23 372 19 13 .280 .761
Arenado 22 486 29 10 .267 .706
Carpenter 26 296 22 6 .294 .828
Moran 25 415 19 11 .277 .747
I could not imagine that Moran will ever be as good as the three players listed before him. But the stats show, none of the three were hatched as all-stars. They incrementally improved until they all became great players. I don’t know if Moran will ever get to all-star level, but the numbers above should at least tell us to have some patience with his bat.
Unfortunately, I don’t imagine Moran’s defensive stats will compare with Brooks Robinson’s or Craig Nettles’ rookie year results. :-/
Age AB 2b HR Ave OPS
Suarez 23 372 19 13 .280 .761
Arenado 22 486 29 10 .267 .706
Carpenter 26 296 22 6 .294 .828
Moran 25 415 19 11 .277 .747
I could not imagine that Moran will ever be as good as the three players listed before him. But the stats show, none of the three were hatched as all-stars. They incrementally improved until they all became great players. I don’t know if Moran will ever get to all-star level, but the numbers above should at least tell us to have some patience with his bat.
Unfortunately, I don’t imagine Moran’s defensive stats will compare with Brooks Robinson’s or Craig Nettles’ rookie year results. :-/
Hitting coach Jeff Branson fired
5255796E781B0 wrote: I am not a huge fan of Colin Moran, however, this comparison made me stop and think. Check out the first year stats of the NL’s top third basemen: Eugenio Suarez, Nolan Arenado, and Matt Carpenter:
Age AB 2b HR Ave OPS
Suarez 23 372 19 13 .280 .761
Arenado 22 486 29 10 .267 .706
Carpenter 26 296 22 6 .294 .828
Moran 25 415 19 11 .277 .747
I could not imagine that Moran will ever be as good as the three players listed before him. But the stats show, none of the three were hatched as all-stars. They incrementally improved until they all became great players. I don’t know if Moran will ever get to all-star level, but the numbers above should at least tell us to have some patience with his bat.
Unfortunately, I don’t imagine Moran’s defensive stats will compare with Brooks Robinson’s or Craig Nettles’ rookie year results. :-/
Moran compares to Brooks now defensively, as in the current Brooks.
Age AB 2b HR Ave OPS
Suarez 23 372 19 13 .280 .761
Arenado 22 486 29 10 .267 .706
Carpenter 26 296 22 6 .294 .828
Moran 25 415 19 11 .277 .747
I could not imagine that Moran will ever be as good as the three players listed before him. But the stats show, none of the three were hatched as all-stars. They incrementally improved until they all became great players. I don’t know if Moran will ever get to all-star level, but the numbers above should at least tell us to have some patience with his bat.
Unfortunately, I don’t imagine Moran’s defensive stats will compare with Brooks Robinson’s or Craig Nettles’ rookie year results. :-/
Moran compares to Brooks now defensively, as in the current Brooks.