CINCINNATI — Clint Hurdle made a promise to Corey Dickerson before he ever saw the former All-Star play an inning in left field for the Pirates. As the two men chatted shortly after Dickerson was acquired in late February, Hurdle told his new outfielder he wouldn't double-switch him out late in games.
Hurdle paid no attention to people in the industry who labeled Dickerson a below-average defender. Instead, he trusted the scouting report from his front office, and Dickerson's exhaustive six-day-a-week workouts over the previous offseason. That show of faith altered the course of the Pirates' season, which will end with an above-.500 record after their 8-4 win over the Reds on Friday night at Great American Ball Park. With the cancellation of the season finale, their 81-78 record clinched only their fourth winning season in 26 years.
Dickerson emerged as one of the top defenders among National League left fielders while making a career-high 121 starts at the position. That rejuvenation began nearly one year ago with a mission and a thorough plan to rewrite a narrative that's followed him since his big league debut in 2013.
"People that don’t see me every day would say I'm below average," Dickerson, who went 2 for 5 with an RBI double, told DKPittsburghSports.com. "I cover a decent amount of ground and make all the routine plays. I think they expected Kevin Kiermaier or Starling Marte — like every left fielder should be that type of fielder. I think my arm strength has always contributed to people labeling me a completely not good outfielder."
Dickerson had started 326 major league games in left field before being acquired from the Rays shortly before Grapefruit League play began this spring and had not committed more than two errors in a season since he was a rookie with the Rockies in 2014. Yet, the advanced metrics and a quick eye test left scouts wondering if he'd be able to field the position at PNC Park.
Dickerson had no such concerns. He bristled at the question during spring training, insisting he'd flourish now that he had his first healthy offseason in two years. While it wasn't public knowledge at the time, a back injury caused him to lose nearly 25 pounds entering the 2017 season. That didn't prevent him from having a breakout first half.
He batted .312 with a .903 OPS, 17 home runs and 42 RBIs before the break to be selected to his first All-Star team. However, he had only 10 home runs and 20 RBIs in 65 games during the season half. Dickerson now attributes those struggles to a lack of lower body strength as the result of an usual offseason. He hired a new trainer last fall and completely restructured his workouts with an emphasis on his lower body.
There also was a structured plan to help him in the field. Dickerson used a variety of drills to enhance his first-step quickness and would catch a tennis ball one-handed while taking routes similar to tracking a fly ball in the outfield. The focus was to improve his mobility and athleticism, two weaknesses in the latter part of his final season in Tampa.
"It’s knowing how my body moves," Dickerson said. "Knowing the correct way to open up, knowing the way to set myself up depending on the hitter, depending on our pitcher. The best stuff he has that day, the anticipation of the ball being hit to me every single pitch. ... I want the ball hit to me. Even if the tying run is on second, I want the ground ball hit to me. I want the chance to throw the guy out. I want the chance to make a play. There's that confidence out there. I think that’s really elevated my game."
Dickerson ranks first among qualified National League left fielders in fielding percentage (.996) and zone rating (.959). He also leads the position with 15 defensive runs saved — an improvement of 16 runs from last season — and outs above average, a range-based metric that accounts for the number of plays and degree of difficulty. He's made one error in 262 total chances and is tied for second in ultimate zone rating and outfield assists with a career-high seven.
He's never possessed elite arm strength, but those agility drills have helped him get to balls and fire off a throw quicker, catching unsuspecting base runners trying to take advantage of an old scouting report. With the Pirates at Wrigley Field for the beginning of a four-game series this week, Hurdle was taking a look at all the advanced metrics in preparation to vote for Gold Glove awards. Though he can't vote for one of his own players, the numbers showed him what he already knew.
"I’ve seen a steadfast consistency that’s probably being overlooked right now because he went from being a below-average defender to now he’s a left fielder," Hurdle said. "I think envelopes were being pushed more early on running opportunities and they’re not so much right now. He makes good decisions. He gets the ball where he needs to get it quickly and efficiently. The routes are still clean in the outfield. He lays out for balls in the outfield. ... There’s separation between him and everybody else in left field and that’s a tribute to him."
Dickerson has helped a rotation that has the NL's second-lowest September ERA while also filling some of the void left by the departure of Andrew McCutchen. He's batting a team-high .299 with a .805 OPS, 13 home runs and 55 RBIs. He's also been their most consistent offensive threat, aside from an ugly August upon returning from the disabled list.
And though he's fallen short of his own expectations offensively, particularly the lack of power, his work last offseason helped him achieve what he never could in left field for the Rays or Rockies.
"It’s very rewarding," Dickerson said. "It motivates me to go out there and keep working. It’s a sense of accomplishment. Doing it and having fun doing it gives me that much more confidence going into next year, being able to do it again, even better. I think I can be way better than I am right now. It’s also something you envision whenever you’re working, knowing it’s inside of you. To be able to actually put it out there is rewarding. Getting credit for it means a lot."
1. Barely getting by
This could have been a disaster for Nick Kingham. The right-hander was again starting in place of Joe Musgrove and only lasted 3 2/3 innings, though his two earned runs allowed were the result of a two-run homer by Eugenio Suarez. Kingham had nine baserunners and managed to strand six on base, including two in each of the first three innings.
Kingham threw 76 pitches, 45 of which were strikes. That forced Hurdle to turn to the bullpen, which got 3 1/3 scoreless innings from Steven Brault. Brault also stranded five runners on base. The Reds left a total of 13 on and went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position. Their other two runs came in the ninth when Tucker Barnhart hit a two-run homer off Dovydas Neverauskas.
"MVP of the game tonight, from my perspective," Hurdle said of Brault. "Fielded his position. Got us through the innings we needed to get covered."
Meanwhile, the offense had 13 hits, one from nine different players, including a pinch-hit single by Jung Ho Kang in the seventh inning. Elias Diaz and Colin Moran both hit solo homer runs, while the latter finished with three RBIs. Kevin Kramer had two hits, including an RBI single, to snap an 0-for-21 skid.
Moran's batting .300 in 50 at-bats this month with three home runs and 10 RBIs. The 25-year-old third baseman moved a few inches off the plate last month to help him get more leverage, much like Gregory Polanco did in June.
"I just made some adjustments," Moran said. "I feel like I was kind of handcuffing myself in the middle months with where I was standing on the plate. I just made an adjustment with the league adjusting to me. Just trying to learn from it and keep it going."
2. Kang only saw two pitches
Slow down the Kang hype train. The 31-year-old singled on a liner to left on the second pitch he saw in his first big league at-bat since Oct. 2, 2016. The hit came off Matt Wisler, a 26-year-old reliever with a 4.13 ERA in 38 innings. Oh, and Kang put on an incredible display during batting practice before the game, hitting one ball into the second deck and another over the wall in deep right-center.
Nothing could prepare him for the one at-bat he'd been waiting to receive for nearly two years, when he pulled a fastball through the left side.
"A lot of mixed emotions stepping into the box," Kang said through interpreter Mark Kim. "He didn’t tell me until the last minute, but I just tried to focus on trying to look for a hittable pitch in the strike zone."
Kang was promoted earlier in the day and expressed excitement for the second chance. He'll now get at least one start over the final two games before entering an offseason in which the Pirates must decide whether to pick up his $5.5 million option. This weekend will have no bearing on that decision. It's also important to remember Kang's only had 16 minor-league games in the United States since that third DUI conviction. One at-bat isn't enough to determine if he's still a viable major league player.
That said, his teammates were thrilled when he delivered the leadoff single, and some believe he can help them if given another chance in 2019.
"They were happy for him," Hurdle said. "They were happy to have him in the dugout. Some of the guys have been around him. Some of the guys don’t know him. Yeah, there was a small uproar when he got the base hit. You could hear it."
3. Winning season
Hurdle has spoken passionately in recent weeks about his club's desire to finish strong and surpass external expectations, but he had no interest in celebrating the achievement afterwards.
"Better than not clinching a winning season," he said.
That feeling was not shared by his players. Yes, all involved have expressed disappointment with failing to reach the postseason, and they're remarkable inconsistency from front the finish. However, there's an air of confidence around this team that wasn't present a year ago when everyone knew McCutchen would likely be dealt in the coming months.
The rotation blossomed this summer, led by Jameson Taillon and Trevor Williams. Starling Marte is a full season removed from his suspension. Moran, Dickerson, Diaz and Francisco Cervelli are all finishing strong. Even Pablo Reyes has emerged as a potential utility man for next season. This team could also have one of the better bullpens in the National League, though the loss of Edgar Santana hurts.
"It's huge because you come into this clubhouse, you see we’re in no way laying down and allowing the season to end," Brault said. "We’re trying to get some good work in before the season ends so we can come into next year ready to go. Very young team. I would say we surpassed expectations this year.
"We did some really good things. We were inconsistent as a club, individually, everything. That’s why we have the record we do. We’re in one of the best divisions in baseball. We have to play the Brewers a bunch, we have to play the Cardinals a lot, we have to play the Cubs a bunch. It’s not an easy thing to do. I think we held our own really well this year and next year when we have a very similar team, everyone is a little older and a little more mature and we have the stupid rotation that we have, it’s going to be awesome."
