In what’s shaping as much as be probably the most vital shakeup to the Main League teaching employees in years, the Pirates on Wednesday parted methods with hitting coach Andy Haines, bullpen coach Justin Meccage and energy and conditioning coach Adam Vish.
Basic supervisor Ben Cherington issued the next assertion:
“At the moment, we introduced modifications that will likely be made to our teaching employees. We recognize the laborious work that each Andy and Justin did on behalf of the Pirates and need them nothing however success. After a radical evaluation, we consider these modifications are crucial. Extra broadly, over the previous few months, we now have assessed each space of baseball operations with a concentrate on making the wanted enhancements to construct a profitable workforce in Pittsburgh.
“This work has touched each space of our operations: beginner, worldwide and professional scouting; participant growth; participant efficiency; R&D and our teaching employees. We’re centered on just one factor — to construct a profitable workforce.”
Haines was employed forward of the 2022 season after a three-year stint as hitting coach of the Brewers. In his time, the Pirates’ roster transitioned from extra outsiders getting tryouts to extra homegrown gamers developing via the Minors, however the total workforce outcomes largely stayed the identical. Their 665 runs scored this season ranked twenty fourth in baseball, whereas their .672 OPS was twenty seventh.
On a macro scale, the Pirates’ offense regressed in 2024, scoring fewer runs (692 in 2023, 665 in 2024), OPS (.707 in 2023, .672 in 2024) and wRC+ (90 in 2023, 86 in 2024).
Particular person outcomes have been a combined bag. Bryan Reynolds labored extensively with Haines forward of the 2023 season, and he’s mixed to submit 48 dwelling runs, 322 hits and a .790 OPS mixed over the previous two seasons. Oneil Cruz took noticeable steps ahead this season, particularly towards left-handed pitching, and he was fast to present credit score to Haines and assistant hitting coach Christian Marrero. Nick Gonzales’ drastically improved outcomes this season began with Haines mentioning mechanical modifications the younger infielder had unknowingly made, and newcomer Joey Bart loved a breakout marketing campaign after being acquired in April.
Nevertheless, greater than a handful of gamers struggled to provide this season. Jack Suwinski was optioned to the Minors in July after regressing from his 26-home run marketing campaign in 2023. Henry Davis, the primary total Draft decide in 2021, crushed Minor League pitching, however hit .144 with a .453 OPS in his 37 Main League video games. Veterans Rowdy Tellez and Michael A. Taylor struggled a lot of the season. Ke’Bryan Hayes battled again points for a lot of the season, however he too noticed a big offensive downturn, ending with a .573 OPS.
A scarcity of constant offensive manufacturing has been a recurring theme for the Pirates the previous a number of years, extending past when Haines inherited the job. Nevertheless, a scarcity of constant offense was a key motive why the Pirates weren’t capable of maximize their younger beginning pitching and why they completed with a 76-86 file.
The bullpen additionally performed a serious function in why the Pirates weren’t capable of maximize their beginning pitching this season. Projected to be among the finest bullpens in baseball coming into the season, their relievers completed with a 4.49 ERA (twenty seventh in baseball) and 27 blown saves (tied for fourth-most).
Meccage was the longest-tenured coach on the Pirates’ employees and the final remaining holdover from Clint Hurdle’s tenure, becoming a member of first because the assistant pitching coach in 2018 earlier than transitioning to the bullpen coach forward of the 2020 season when Derek Shelton took over.
David Bednar was on the middle of these bullpen struggles, going from being an All-Star in 2022 and 2023 to being faraway from the nearer function when blew as many saves this season (seven) as he had the earlier two seasons mixed, and his eight losses have been as many as he had over his first three years with the Pirates.
Exterior of Bednar, Colin Holderman and Aroldis Chapman posted total good outcomes however have been streaky, as have been fellow younger relievers Kyle Nicolas, Hunter Stratton and Carmen Mlodzinski. The workforce additionally struggled to discover a lefty specialist all 12 months, with Jalen Beeks, Josh Fleming, Jose Hernandez and a largely harm Ryan Borucki falling wanting expectations.
Vish joined the Pirates in December of 2020 after serving because the Giants’ Minor League energy and conditioning coordinator for eight seasons.
On Sept. 11, Cherington gave a robust vote of confidence in Shelton, signaling he’ll return after the Pirates completed the season with the identical file that they had in 2023: 76-86.
“I feel there’s so much to the job [that] I consider [Shelton] does actually, rather well, and I additionally consider he works his tail off to proceed to enhance in a lot of methods,” Cherington stated. “Seeing that, I consider he’s the proper individual to handle this workforce in 2025, so I totally count on that may occur.”
