Mark Madden's Hot Take: Plenty of questions surround Pirates' player development
If you need reason not to trust the Pittsburgh Pirates’ developmental process, look no further than the most obvious example.
Shortstop Oneil Cruz is 25, has all the raw talent in the world and doesn’t know how to play baseball.
Cruz missed almost all of last season after breaking his leg. But that’s not affecting this season. Cruz hit seven home runs in spring training and had people talking 30/30.
Before Saturday’s home game vs. Boston, Cruz was hitting .222 with three home runs. He’d struck out an astronomical 34 times in 84 plate appearances, drawing just four walks.
Cruz looks haphazard and uncomfortable when he’s hitting. Manager Derek Shelton said Cruz is too “passive” at the plate.
In 2022, Cruz whiffed 126 times in 361 plate appearances. So that’s not a new development, nor is it improving.
Cruz can’t field, either: He has committed four errors, second most in MLB.
It’s early, so you can’t yet take the numbers too seriously. Like when the Pirates started 9-2, then plummeted to 11-9.
But Cruz has endless talent, and the Pirates can’t make him get it right. It might be early in the season, but it’s not early in Cruz’s career.
Catcher Henry Davis was the first pick overall in the 2021 MLB draft. He’s hitting .182 after 67 plate appearances.
The only thing the Pirates’ developmental process gets correct is pitch count.
Phenom Paul Skenes has pitched just 122⁄3 innings in three weeks at the Triple-A level. He’s been incredible, whiffing 27. In Skenes’ last outing, he struck out eight in 31⁄3 innings.
Such a light workload protects Skenes’ arm. But does it develop his arm?
Every pitcher’s arm gets protected nowadays. But their elbows keep exploding like pinatas.
Skenes’ workload in Triple A is considerably less than it was in college at Louisiana State.
Rookie Jared Jones got lifted after throwing just 59 pitches in five innings during his start at the New York Mets Tuesday. The Pirates led 1-0 when Jones departed but lost 3-1.
Jones had thrown 85, 80 and 89 pitches in his prior three starts. What’s the logic to being pulled after 59?
Is winning important? Or is better to have 100% healthy arms on a losing team?
Call Skenes up. Let him start and throw 50 pitches. Then Jones comes in and throws 50 pitches.
Then the bullpen probably blows it. So, never mind.
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