One dugout conversation during the final series of the season illustrated to Clint Hurdle how Starling Marte has evolved into a possible catalyst for change. Between at-bats, Hurdle overheard Marte having an in-depth discussion with Jung Ho Kang about pitch sequences, a revelation considering the Pirates' center fielder struggled to recognize such in-game trends only one year earlier.
Marte, now 30, finally learned to apply seven years worth of major-league lessons in the batter's box. That allowed him to regain some of the credibility lost with his 80-game suspension for a performance-enhancing substance in 2017. Though still mired by inconsistency, Marte became only the third player in franchise history with at least 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases in one season, joining Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke.
He also made a successful transition to starting every day in center field and was credited with 3.7 wins above replacement, more than doubling his output from 77 games one season ago. That led the Pittsburgh chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America to vote him the club's most valuable player. Yet, he was still plagued by lapses in judgement and concentration.
While those plays left Hurdle and teammates frustrated, Marte often followed those with a remarkable display of speed, power and athleticism that powerfully illustrated just how important he is to the present and future of the Pirates.
"You track our season – and he’s not a fan of this – but when he plays at a high level, we play at a high level," Hurdle said of Marte hours before the season finale in Cincinnati. "I’m trying to get him to embrace that fact. You don’t have to think of yourself as an elite player, but when you play at a high level, you are a contagion. You make other people want to play at higher levels. He can create a very positive wake that way. I think that’s part of what he’s growing through and maturing through right now ... understanding that accountability and responsibility.”
Marte can appear apathetic at times, particularly during those mental lapses on the field or throughout a slump, which often angers the fanbase. He was booed in August after failing to run out a ground ball and was later benched by Hurdle. However, there is angst under the surface. Marte was pressing in September while chasing that coveted 20-home run plateau, a fact pointed out by Hurdle prior to the season finale.
Marte was also challenged by Hurdle and Neal Huntington during his exit interview. While both of his bosses were overjoyed with clear signs of maturation, they also expressed frustration with the mental lapses and long slumps.
As Hurdle stated above, he and Huntington wanted Marte to realize how valuable he was to the Pirates' success. After all, the former Gold Glove winner's slumps coincided with those of the entire offense. He was one of their best hitters during their three best stretches of the season, including a .308 average and .869 OPS from March 30 through May 15.
On the other hand, the Pirates went 10-25 from May 26 through July 7 when he batted .242 with a .689 OPS and 30 strikeouts, which led Huntington to issue an ultimatum to his team one week before the All-Star Break: either climb back into the race during a critical nine-game stretch or watch the roster get overhauled at the trade deadline.
Marte, along with Corey Dickerson and Gregory Polanco, helped the Pirates win 13 of their next 14, including an unbelievable 11-game winning streak. Marte batted .356 with a 1.089 OPS and six home runs to 16 RBIs during that span. Despite his struggles — including a .651 OPS from Aug. 10 through Sept. 2 when the Pirates fell out of the race — he finished with a .277 average, career-high 20 home runs and 72 RBIs.
He posted a career-high .182 isolated power and his .337 weighted one-base average matched his production from 2015. Marte also improved against breaking balls and offspeed pitches, batting .302 and .365 against each, respectively. With Andrew McCutchen gone, Marte asserted himself as one of the top center fielders in the National League, posting 10 outs above average, the league's seventh-highest mark at the position. To compare, McCutchen posted negative-2 one year earlier.
“It was an important year that he got his street cred back by playing the game, with the questions that came from last year," Hurdle said. "And actions speak louder than words. There were still lapses at times that he’s aware of and needs to work on, and he’ll be the first one to tell you they’re never intentional, but they do happen. The thing we revisit as a group is you run until you’re out and you finish plays. Him patrolling center field, you can take some numbers and look at how he graded out, but you can’t come up with a number of runs he’s saved, in my mind, by playing center field for us this year. It’s big. Him in center field every day, or as many days as we can get him out there, is big. It plays well for us."
Those lapses did not, though. Marte was benched for a lack of effort in August after failing to run out a ground ball and making another baserunning mistake in a win over the Cubs. Hurdle said both he and Marte's teammates expressed displeasure for both plays, though Marte later denied the latter to reporters.
He made far more egregious mistakes in the outfield, as displayed during the final week of the season when he watched a fly ball drop in front of him. There were several such plays throughout the season, a fact that was communicated to Marte during that lengthy exit interview. With Jordy Mercer and Josh Harrison both likely to depart this offseason, Marte could be the club's longest-tenured player in 2019 and will be asked to take on a greater leadership role.
More important, he'll be asked to be a catalyst for change, a fact that he didn't necessarily want to hear but one that likely played a factor in the club's decision to dismiss both hitting coaches. While Josh Bell is also important to a possible turnaround, the Pirates' chances could rest on Marte's shoulders.
"There’s certain players that don’t want that," Hurdle said. "I’m just saying. I’ve just known enough players. He’s not the first one by any means, and I’ve had players that had way more street cred than he’s got right now that felt the same way. So it’s not uncommon. Many times what you see, or what you think they are, they’re not when you get to know them. They’re going to show up for you a certain way. When you’re with them every day, you pretty much find out who we all are, really – and it’s not a bad thing. It’s just who they are, who they’re trying to grow through, who they’re trying to become. Sometimes they get through that and get to the other side. It’s just where he’s at right now. Sometimes you’re not even fortunate enough to have the conversation about being an elite player or being a great player. Nobody ever had that with me.”