STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Pirates hitters need to shoulder just as much of the blame for the team's post All-Star break malaise as the club's pitching.
Since resuming play after the Mid-Summer Classic, the club's lineup has produced just four runs per game, good for 27th in all of baseball. Their 82 extra base hits during that same time yields a ranking of 28th, and their soft contact rate of 19.5 percent rates as the second highest in the majors. That's bad.
Sure, the lineup has shown the ability to pop off for a solid number of runs -- last night's 10-2 win as a shining example -- but the run production is sputtering at best, having been held to four runs or fewer in 18 of the 28 games since the break, three runs or fewer in 16 contests.
What's causing such a sporadic offense?
AVERAGE ON FASTBALLS
Pirates hitters have seen fastballs in 59 percent of their post-break pitches. That's the 16th highest total across all of MLB. 30.1 percent of those land within the strike zone. That's good for the 22nd highest rate in baseball. On those in-zone fastballs, the combined batting average for PBC hitters is .306, good for the 16th highest in ball.
In nearly each and every way, the hitters' performance against fastballs is decidedly average. Still not convinced? I'll throw one more stat at you. The slugging percentage for Pirates hitters on in-zone fastballs clocks at .514, good for 24th best in the league.
Now, you may be looking at these figures and wondering why I'm making such a big deal about this. After all, a .306 batting average and .514 slugging percentage sound like solid figures. And they do, in isolation. But the rankings are important. Relevant to their peers, these hitters as a collective group have performed at a middling rate.
Need one more? OK, try this: these hitters carry a 7.5 percent barrel rate on batted ball fastballs that are in the strike zone. The ranking? 24th out of the 30 MLB clubs.
GETTING FOOLED
This post-break Pirates offense also struggles against the breaking ball. The collective .248 xwOBA -- ranked as the 25th best team rate -- backs up the soft hit percentage seen above.
They miss opportunities when a breaking ball lands in the sweet spot:
They get fooled:
But most important, they struggle against them at the most inopportune times. 33.6 percent of the total breaking pitches seen by Pirates hitters since the All-Star break come while the hitter is behind in the count.
Overall, this Pirates offense carries just a 14.6 percent whiff per swing rate on breaking balls since the ASB, good for ninth best in baseball. However, on breaking balls seen while ahead, that figure absolutely balloons to 33.5 percent.
Average on fastballs.
Serious warts on breaking balls.
Can it be any wonder that this team is in such a funk? Left without a puncher's chance at bailing their pitches out, Pirates hitters are left to scratch across runs in fits and spurts, if they are able to crank out any run production at all.
MORE MOUND VISIT
Aug 12: Mitch Keller's lack of curve
Aug 6: The bullpen’s core competencies
Aug 2: Archer’s one item on his to-do list
Aug 1: Can Osuna’s power play?
