Kevin Kramer didn't make contact with any of the nine pitches he saw from Brewers starter Zach Davies at PNC Park on Saturday night. Kramer, a rookie making his third career big-league start at third base, struck out in his only two at-bats before he was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning.
He didn't even foul off a pitch. His only impact on the Pirates' 3-0 win over the Brewers were two putouts and an infield assist, none of which required an extraordinary effort. Kramer, like other prospects he's played with in the club's system, arrived with high expectations, only to struggle against major league pitching when receiving at-bats with the Pirates out of the playoff chase at 78-75.
He's now mired in a 1-for-18 slump with 13 strikeouts and has three hits in 23 at-bats over 13 games, including five starts. Regardless of September production, or lack thereof, Kramer will have a chance to make the opening day roster next spring, likely as a utility man. Until then, his singular focus is showing this ugly start is only the first step toward a long stay in the majors.
"It’s definitely a transition," Kramer told DKPittsburghSports.com. "It’s still a game. I didn’t help myself out much in this stretch. I’ve been off a little bit, and it’s showed. I’m missing pitches I should hit. They're going to take advantage of that if you don’t capitalize on mistakes. They’re going to put you away. It’s one of those things. You have to go through it, and learn from it and get better."
Kramer, a second-round draft pick in 2015, will turn 25 in October and was not added to the club's 40-man roster until he was recalled from Triple-A earlier this month. That move was inevitable given what he accomplished with Indianapolis this season. He ranked second in the International League in extra-base hits (53) and third in batting average (.311), while hitting 35 doubles and 15 home runs with 59 RBIs.
His .856 OPS also ranked second on the team behind Jose Osuna. That illustrated how there could be even more power to come from his retooled left-handed swing. Prior to last season, Kramer made an adjustment to drive the ball more often, and it helped him become one of the top offensive players in the Double-A Eastern League.
He reached base safely in 32 straight games for Altoona, the second-longest streak in the league last season, and was named a mid-season All-Star. However, he was limited to only 53 games because of a broken hand suffered on a hit-by-pitch. Kramer emerged as one of the organization's top prospects this season, though it's unclear how he fits into their plans long-term.
In Triple-A this season, he started 82 games at second base, 19 at third base and 15 at shortstop. Clint Hurdle has all but ruled out using Kramer at shortstop, opting instead to start him three times at third base and twice at second. Neal Huntington told reporters last Sunday in Milwaukee that Adam Frazier has "stepped up and shown that he’s ready to take the everyday opportunity at second base." On the other hand, Huntington wants more out of Colin Moran, adding that the hope is to "get some home runs from Colin at third base if he’s our guy again next year."
Moran has 10 home runs with 60 RBIs in 137 games, 104 starts, though he's batted .297 over his last 49 games. He's also only a rookie and turns 26 in December. There have also been tangible signs of progress, including his .341 average with runners in scoring position since July 1. That trend continued in the eighth inning Saturday when he came off the bench to drive in an insurance run with this single on a 3-2 fastball:
Kramer, meanwhile, struggled in those situations while at Triple-A, posting a .244 average and .668 OPS with 46 strikeouts to 12 walks. That, Indianapolis manager Brian Esposito said, is one area Kramer must improve in order to stick in the majors.
"He put up some pretty good numbers," Esposito said. "I think there’s even more in there once he gets some maturity to his approach in the box, especially with runners in scoring position. I think last year he lost a couple months because of injury. With runners in scoring position, he’s going to do more damage as he gains more maturity, as he starts to understand who he is and what the league is going to try to do to get him out, especially with runners in scoring position. He had a really good year. The swing is pretty good. I think it’s going to get even better once he takes care of the situational hitting."
Those struggles have carried over to the majors. Kramer struck out 127 times in 476 at-bats with Indy this season and has 13 to only two walks in the majors. He showed promise upon being recalled, including a two-hit performance against the Marlins on Sept. 7, but he's looked uncomfortable in the batter's box during the few opportunities he's received since.
He struck out on three pitches in the second inning Saturday and on six pitches in the fourth, both swinging at a curveball low and out of the zone. Kramer's hitless in four pinch-hit at-bats and 2 for 11 with men on base. With Gregory Polanco expected to miss the start of the season, Huntington indicated the Pirates could use Frazier in right field with Kramer filling in at second base.
"There’s no doubt that he’s played better the more he’s played at second base, defensively," Huntington said. "And he’s swung the bat really well in the second half. He’s so versatile and is going to bounce back and forth. It certainly would be to his advantage to be able to (stay) at one position. But, as we saw with Josh [Harrison], there are guys who are capable of bouncing everywhere and playing at an All-Star level. It gives us a ton of flexibility to see what’s out there and to see what allows us to put our best team on the field, short-term and long-term."
Kramer has another week to develop better pitch selection and timing before entering perhaps his most important offseason as a professional. Huntington will decide how to proceed without Polanco and whether to bring in a veteran to supplement what's expected to be a young middle infield.
One month won't determine how the Pirates view Kramer long-term, however, his focus is to show that he can avoid the type of long slumps that can keep a young player out of the lineup.
"It’s still baseball," he said. 'You’re going to struggle at times. It’s about shortening that up and playing good ball. Squaring up good pitches. Taking advantage of mistakes, because they don’t make a whole lot."
1. Yeah, Williams did it again.
While all of us on the outside are astounded by what Trevor Williams has accomplished, it's become the expectation inside the Pirates' clubhouse. The right-hander's been humble since this run began before the All-Star break and that hasn't changed as he's close to making history.
Williams, a 26-year-old right-hander, pitched six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts to one walk Saturday night. He's now pitched 19 scoreless innings in three starts against the Brewers this season. That's lowered his ERA this season to 3.04 over 30 starts and his 122 strikeouts rank second on the team.
He now has a 1.00 ERA over his last 12 starts and his post-All-Star break ERA would be the lowest in Pirates history since at least 1908. To top that off, he's the only pitcher in the majors to make 11 starts of at least five innings without allowing a run, and he has been the starter for nine of the team's shutouts.
"He’s like the four other guys we have in there: He wants to be a master craftsman," Hurdle said. "He will be, again, the first one to tell you it’s about pitch execution. He’s throwing the ball where he wants to throw the ball. He’s making pitches he wants to make."
That consistency requires an innate ability to adjust both before and during starts. Williams has learned how to adjust his pitch sequencing, despite not having premium velocity. He's succeeded by locating his fastball to the four corners of the strike zone, while putting hitters away with improved command of his changeup and slider.
And he attributed his experience in the majors, now 56 starts, for his success during the second half:
2. Marte finishing strong.
Chris Archer made a bold proclamation earlier this week when he referred to Starling Marte as an MVP-caliber player. Archer wasn't wrong, though. After all, he's one homer shy of becoming the third player in team history with at least 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season.
He's a Gold Glove-caliber outfielder with a combination of tools few others possess. But an MVP runs out ground balls. An MVP also makes an impact from front to finish. Marte didn't do that this season. He batted only .194 in June upon returning from a strained left oblique and had a .652 OPS when the Pirates went 10-17 in August.
He's capable of so much more and is exactly what this offense has been missing during the team's rough stretches. His two-run double in the third inning was his 51st extra-base hit, making him one of four Pirates all-time with five seasons of at least 40 extra-base hits with 30 stolen bases:
3. Newman needs to improve.
Kevin Newman needs to be sharper defensively if he's going to be this team's every day shortstop in 2019. He spent last offseason working on his first-step quickness to improve his range, but that hasn't been his issue. He's often attempting off-balance throws, much like he did in the first inning that forced Williams to throw 25 pitches.
Newman turned 25 last month and had a career year at Triple-A. That production hasn't carried over to the majors, which isn't unusual. It would be unfair to label him a bust after one month of major league at-bats. However, the defensive lapses have to be a concern. He's already committed three errors at short, one at second.
That can't happen if the Pirates are to improve their infield defense, which was a glaring weakness again this season. Sure, Jordy Mercer wasn't great defensively the past two seasons, but this team needs an upgrade, especially when it's likely Newman won't produce as much as Mercer did offensively.
