Coming into the year, the main Pirates storyline was if their rookie third baseman would be able to prove that his breakout onto the major league scene last season was no fluke of a limited sample size, and that he could establish himself as a solid regular in the majors.
…is this too obvious of a punchline?
Yes, Phillip Evans has been the bright spot for the Pirates’ offense so far this season, slashing .393/.452/.750 with three home runs. Among hitters who qualify for the batting title through Sunday’s games, his 1.202 OPS is the second best in the National League, only behind Ronald Acuna Jr.
When Ke’Bryan Hayes hit the shelf with a left wrist injury, Evans got a look as an everyday player, even if it hasn’t always been at third. He has played four positions – third base, left field, right field and an inning as a pitcher. Even on the mound he was unstoppable, throwing a 1-2-3 inning on five pitches. He just might actually be able to do it all.
Want to talk meritocracy and earning your opportunities? Here’s your poster boy.
"Just preparation,” Evans said about how he is capitalizing on his starting opportunity. “Going over the pitcher, going over the starters, going over the bullpen. Who they have in there. Taking it an at-bat at a time. I mean, it is cliche to say, but that's what you have to do."
It's been a journey to get to this point. Evans had cameos with the Mets in 2017 and 2018 before being designated for assignment. He then spent the 2019 season with the Cubs’ Class AAA affiliate, and while his counting stats were good (17 home runs, 61 RBIs), his slash line was only a little better than league-average when compared to the rest of the offense-heavy Pacific Coast League. As a result, he didn’t get a call up.
That didn’t scare the Pirates’ scouts away, though. Ben Cherington admitted on his radio show Sunday that he wasn’t the one who was initially draw to Evans, but the work of director of baseball operations Will Lawton and the scouts convinced him to give the utilityman a shot.
“Even though he hadn’t really broken through on the major league level, we felt like he could be a good player, a major league player,” Cherington said.
That flexibility in the field was a selling point for his new manager, too.
“It was just the fact that he could play everywhere, he could do a bunch of different things, and I think we continue to see him blossom as a baseball player just by getting some opportunities,” Derek Shelton said on what the coaching staff liked about him.
With rosters expanded last year, Evans got that opportunity, and actually got a decent amount of playing time. His season was cut short after colliding with Gregory Polanco while chasing a pop fly, but he ended his year with a .359 batting average and .932 OPS over 45 plate appearances.
There were some bloops and bleeders that boosted those numbers in a small sample size, which is why he had to fight for a roster spot this spring with Todd Frazier. Somewhat surprisingly, the Pirates opted to put him on the opening day roster instead of the veteran, citing his fielding versatility. With a four-man bench, a guy who could play five positions was a necessity.
You know how that first week as an everyday starter went. Once Hayes returns, expect Evans to stay in the lineup, even if it means he bounces around the diamond to find his plate appearances.
There’s nothing cheap about Evans’ start, either. Here is his swing profile this year, entering play Monday:
BASEBALL SAVANT
The top 15% in expected batting average, slugging and wOBA. Top 10 percentile in how hard he is hitting the ball. Near the very, very top in how infrequently he whiffs, chases a pitch or strikes out.
In the bluntest of terms: He’s swinging at good pitches. When he swings, he makes contact. When he makes contact, it’s hit really hard. That’s the trifecta of hitting right there.
Even Sunday, a "down" game for him this year where he went just 2-for-5, he had four hard-hit balls and whiffed just once. The only Pirate last year to have at least four batted balls with an exit velocity of at least 95 mph in a game was Hayes on Sept. 26. Not bad company to keep.
But his best swing of the year, and this might hold for the entire season, was Saturday night:
That was a 96 mph fastball on the high, inside corner. Not only was he able to get his hands through the zone quickly enough to get the barrel to the ball, he had the strength to send it 411 feet through the rain.
Let’s take a moment to look at that swing, starting with his hands. They are set up right at his load position, but they never rest. There’s always a little bit of movement while waiting for a pitch. It’s an aggressive stance, one where he looks to be in a good position to hit at any given time. He has quick hands, but he doesn’t over-rely on them. The speed is used to get the bat through the zone. There’s virtually no wasted movement in the upper half of his body.
For comparison’s sake, here is an old Evans in one of his final games with the Mets in 2018:
There are a couple small things to take from this video. It looks like he does a better job opening up his hips now. He does a better job keeping his balance on his front foot. But the main differences are his hands and bat position. They were much closer to his body with the Mets, and his bat would occasionally rest on his shoulder.
We have seen grander mechanical or approach changes in previous Mound Visits, but this seems to serve Evans well. It lets the hands play, and by extension, his power. He’s always done a good job getting the bat to the ball. The challenge had been barreling up the pitch. That hasn’t been an issue with the Pirates.
At some point, Evans is going to come back down to earth. He won’t flirt with .400 or have an OPS over 1.000 over a full season. It doesn’t look like it will be a crash landing, though. The approach has been solid, and it helps maximize his good traits as a hitter. There just might be something here, and not just for 2021.
