PIRATES

It's no secret that the Pirates have operated this season with one of the worst offensive units in Major League Baseball. 

Despite resembling more of a middle-of-the-pack type of offensive team with the fifth-most hits (190) and sixth-most runs scored (101) in the National League since the All-Star break, the Pirates are still MLB's worst run-producing team (427) over its 120 games played this season. It's the biggest reason why the Pirates are currently sitting, at 51-69, in the basement of the National League Central.

Regulars like Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds have struggled mightily over prolonged stretches, guys like Jack Suwinski and Henry Davis have failed to make significant strides with more playing time as of late and there are doubts whether this team truly is one or two bats away from being competitive, even with a stellar pitching staff. 

This afternoon, I spent a few minutes talking one-on-one with first-year hitting coach Matt Hague about the adjustment he's made to this new role, why the offense has generated such poor results this season and what can be done to improve moving forward: 

JN: How would you assess the first year being in this role as the Pirates' hitting coach?

MH: “There's a lot of positive things. I think the biggest thing is continuing to learn with the players we have on the field. They've all been brought up a certain way, they all gravitate toward something that's got them to this point. I think just trying to really help, support and collaborate with them in that process as they continue to learn. We all know we gotta make strides. We all know we gotta continue to push the envelope. Then there's the element of trust just being together. I think as the season’s gone on, we’re continuing to get to where we want to, where we need to get, and there's been some strides. There's been a lot of learning moments, as we all know, but it's been a treat, especially with the group we have. There are guys that are hungry and just trying to continue to provide support to better themselves."

JN: It's no secret that the offense has struggled all season long. But there have also been times where the bats have gotten going. What has led to the poor results? 

MH: “The biggest thing is spin. Behind the scenes, we know we have to address spin, pull-side ground balls. I’m sure everybody kind of sees that. It's been an issue for a couple years. Recently, we've had some guys get extremely better. We knew we needed to impact the ball. That hasn't necessarily happened. We're making adjustments, but it's tough because you always want to magnify the player's strength, right? When you're trying to build, you don't want to put so much emphasis on growth where it takes away from their strength. So I think the biggest thing was production off breaking balls.”

JN: When you look at the lineup, you've got guys like Reynolds, Cruz, Andrew McCutchen, guys that when they're on, the offense will kind of roll, too. Do you feel like the struggles of Reynolds and Cruz have played an important role in the overall struggles? Just not having them at their best at times? 

MH: “They know they're not where they want to be. It’s like they're putting pressure on themselves. They know it, it's something they're addressing. They've also had a lot of success. Getting back to the strengths, I think with B-Rey, it’s about trying to get back on hunting his strength, which is fastballs, and really getting back on top of owning what's his. I think when you go through a time of trying to work through some stuff, you lose sight of that, but they're grinding, man. They're putting the work in. It's only a matter of time before those guys start doing what they want to do. They know it's the classic case of pressing and feeling like they have to run the whole offense. It's like a blessing and a curse that they know that. But they’re getting after it.”

JN: Jack Suwinski has shown promise in the past with a 26-home run season and Henry Davis is a former No. 1 overall pick who just hasn’t put it all together at the plate as a big leaguer. What do they have to do to put things together? 

MH: “Some of the underlying stuff with Henry, like, Henry's strength is to hit a ball in the air far. That, with PNC Park, can be hard at times. History has shown that. Getting back to what he does really well, and understanding and working on four-seam fastballs with him, and he's shown that he can do it. I think it's just a consistency thing with both those guys. With Jack, you know, it's an intriguing athlete. He can control the zone, he can impact the ball, and he can run, you know, and he's shown recently that he's really making some improvements. I think it'll be interesting to see the next month and a half with the guys what they can do, because they're starting to understand that they’re at a point of their career where they know that it's time to kind of push, and it's time to really find out what they can do. They're getting an opportunity here, so it'll be fun to watch.” 

JN: With guys like Reynolds, Cruz, Nick Gonzales, Spencer Horwitz in the lineup, do you feel like there's a dependable core of guys that can be built around and lead this offense moving forward? 

MH: “I do, because they all have skill sets. Right now, the hot topic is what Milwaukee is doing. There's some threats in there. They got a bunch of athletes. They can control the zone, they have high-contact, contact quality, and they'll run into some damage, too, and they can all run. So you kind of look at those profiles, and those guys, the core, do possess that, and they've shown they can do it. Now it's just about consistency and understanding that next step. And they're prepared to, they are. They're prepared to, and it'll be interesting to see how it continues to kind of blossom and they push themselves.” 

JN: Are there things you feel like you can be proud of in year one, despite the fact that the results haven’t been there? 

MH: “We’re amongst the top of the league in swing decisions, but none of that means anything if you're not producing runs. At the end of the day, everybody kind of knows it. I think it starts with a lot of our issues as a team is what we're doing on in-zone spin. And there's been some things, especially after the All-Star break, that have shown very positive signs. Since the All-Star break, we've had some guys step up and basically challenge each other as a team. They’re being extremely accountable, not only with themselves, but as a team. You've seen some responses, and since the All-Star break, there's a lot of positive stuff going on on the offensive side. Just continuing to keep pushing and learning. It's the cliche we all know, but it's time to kind of really press on this next month and a half.”