Pirates A to Z: Thomas Hatch welcomed new opportunity to pitch in different relief roles

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z, an alphabetical, player-by-player look at the 40-man roster.

Player: Thomas Hatch

Position: Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 29

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 195 pounds

2023 MLB statistics: Went 1-1 with a 4.08 ERA and 1.57 WHIP, 26 strikeouts against 12 walks in 28 2/3 innings over 18 appearances, including two starts, split between the Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays.

Contract: Not eligible for arbitration until 2025.

Acquired: Claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays on Aug. 6.

This past season: Hatch welcomed the opportunity to pitch for the Pirates after being designated for assignment by the Blue Jays.

A 2016 third-round pick by the Chicago Cubs, Hatch had been traded to Toronto at the 2019 deadline so he knew something about what a change of scenery could do for his career.

“It’s a new experience. Hopefully I can experience for a little bit longer,” Hatch said. “It’s good, it’s some fresh air. Last time I went through something similar was a trade in 2019. It was good for me. It was best for my career. Excited for the path forward.”

ROSTER MOVE:

???? RHP Thomas Hatch has been claimed off outright waivers by the Pirates pic.twitter.com/E986pBg2NN

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 6, 2023

Hatch was 3-3 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in 46 2/3 innings over 27 appearances, including four starts, in four seasons with Toronto. He posted a 4.26 ERA over six appearances this season, recording 10 strikeouts and five walks in 6 1/3 innings.

Hatch spent a good portion of the season in the minors, where he was 4-2 with a 4.40 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 30 appearances for Triple-A Buffalo. The Pirates were impressed by his 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings, which was accompanied by 4.2 walks per nine over 45 innings this season. Where his role with the Blue Jays was rather predictable, Hatch was excited by the open-ended possibilities with the Pirates.

“For the most part I think it’s bulk relief,” Hatch said. “I’ll see what they have for me, but for the most part that’s what I know.”

The Pirates claimed Hatch on Aug. 6 and activated him two days later, after using seven pitchers in a 7-6 win over the Atlanta Braves. Caught in a numbers game, the Pirates optioned Yerry De Los Santos to Triple-A Indianapolis and replaced him in the bullpen with Hatch.

It's hard to imagine a better Pirates-debut by a reliever. Thomas Hatch was HIM today:

4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 42 pitches

84.9 MPH changeup, 1842 RPM, 34 IVB, 5 IHB pic.twitter.com/HbwRXtIVM6

— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) August 11, 2023

Hatch made a strong Pirates debut Aug. 10, throwing four scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts and no walks against the star-studded lineup of the Atlanta Braves in a 7-5 win.

“Honestly, going into it, I thought if he gave us two (innings), we’d be OK,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “He got through the third and then (pitching coach) Oscar (Marin) went down to talk to him and was able to give us the fourth. In the fourth, what I think was important was he was really efficient. He went right after guys.”

Hatch relieved left-hander Bailey Falter in the fifth inning, giving up a single to the first batter he faced, Travis d’Arnaud. Hatch then went to work by relying on his cutter — which he says is more of a slider — to set up his 95-mph sinker and 85-mph changeup to keep the Braves off-balance. Hatch struck out Marcell Ozuna and got Orlando Arcia, who had homered and walked in his first two at-bats, to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the frame.

“He did a good job mixing in the fastball and the breaking ball,” Shelton said, “but I think the cutter is was what kind of stood out.”

Hatch earned holds against Cincinnati and at Minnesota before allowing two hits and a walk in three scoreless innings as the opener in an 11-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 21. In a reversal of roles, Falter pitched the final six innings.

Three days later, however, Hatch took the loss when he went from opener to closer in a 10-inning loss to the Chicago Cubs. He replaced two-time All-Star David Bednar in the 10th, only to walk Dansby Swanson and then put him in scoring position with a wild pitch. Ian Happ hit a two-run single to put the Cubs ahead in the 5-4 win.

Hatch blew another save in a 7-5 loss to the New York Yankees on Sept. 15, when he started the sixth inning by striking out Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza before giving up a two-out single to Oswaldo Cabrera, walking Ben Rortvedt and allowing RBI singles to D.J. LeMahieu and Aaron Judge.

The following day, Hatch struck out three but gave up a solo homer to Cabrera in a 6-3 loss to the Yankees.

Oswaldo Cabrera (5)

Opponent: Pittsburgh Pirates
Pitcher: Thomas Hatch
Date: 9/16/23

Exit Velocity: 95.1mph
Distance: 364ft
Launch Angle: 35° pic.twitter.com/ZfPN620Q5O

— Yankees Home Runs (@NYY_HR) September 17, 2023

Three days later, Hatch was optioned to Indianapolis.

The future: The good news for Hatch is that he was offered a contract for the 2024 season, so he has a chance to win a spot on active roster in spring training.

Hatch’s ability to pitch as an opener or in bulk relief made him valuable over the final two months of the season, when the Pirates were down to Mitch Keller and Johan Oviedo as healthy starters.

Where Hatch fits in next season isn’t clear. The Pirates are seeking swing-and-miss in their bullpen, and he recorded 16 strikeouts against seven walks in 22 1/3 innings over 12 appearances with them.

If Hatch wants to continue pitching for the Pirates, he’ll need to increase the strikeouts and lower the walks. He’ll likely be in competition with Falter and righty Andre Jackson for a bulk bullpen role next season.