We welcome relevant reader comments on our sports stories on TribLIVE.com. What will they do with their arbitration eligbile players? Playing shortstop early in my career has helped with the versatility aspect. Despite his defensive struggles, he continued to be a plus defender at shortstop. “I wasn’t even paying attention to that. Powered by Minute Media © 2021 All Rights Reserved. In nine games, Newman is hitting .727 (16 for 22) with a 1.659 OPS, with four doubles while drawing five walks with no strikeouts. In fact, it would not be a stunner if Gonzalez was non-tendered this offseason. Sign In. We will make them as carefully and consistently as we can. via e-mail. We reserve the right to edit a comment that is quoted or excerpted in an article. Nine days earlier, Newman sang a similar tune. Both he and Newman have shown their versatility by playing on either side of second base yet would prefer to concentrate on one position instead of a platoon. Today, we will examine some potential shortstop options for the Pirates in 2021. Newman’s doing great, I feel like I’m doing great, and at the end of the day, whatever helps the team, that’s what matters.”. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports, Sep 11, 2020; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Erik Gonzalez (2) fields a high chopper during the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. At the end of the day, I want all my teammates to do well, and I’m here to compete, I’m here to do my best, I’m here to work hard every day — and not only work hard, but to celebrate and be a good teammate to my teammates. A post shared by JerryJeudy⁴ (@_jeudy4) on Jun 11, 2020 at 11:52am PDT. In his shortened 2020 junior season with the Aggies, the shortstop hit 12 home runs and 36 RBI batting .448 in 16 games. Kevin Newman struggled with a couple things in 2020. That was before Cole Tucker was optioned out of major league camp, turning the three-way competition into a two-man race. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. 11, 2020 at 11:20 PM EDT Sep 18, 2020; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Kevin Newman (27) throws to first base to complete a double play against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Whether he selects Kevin Newman or Erik Gonzalez to be the starter, the Pirates manager has found both players arrived at spring training prepared to perform better than they finished last season. Honus Wagner, 1900-17. Support Local Journalism Stephen Gavin Alemais (born April 12, 1995) is an American professional baseball shortstop in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.. Alemais was born in the Bronx, New York and attended All Hallows High School.He earned all-state honors in his junior and senior years, and all-district, all-city, and all-league honors in his sophomore, junior, and senior year. Gonzalez said that comes from his team-first approach, focusing on his own play instead of worrying about others. He’s hoping to move past that and again become the Pirates’ starting shortstop. 5. In 2019, he proved to be a pretty good hitter. Unfortunately, this would not prove to be the case. They both have done a really nice job, so it’s gonna make for a very challenging decision.”. … So here's what our scout had to say about the Pirates shortstop. Oneil Cruz, SS. Both of these led the 2020 Pittsburgh Pirates. While Gonzalez played more shortstop than any other player for the Pirates in 2020, with his offensive woes he is no way locked in to be the shortstop in 2021. He has yet to play a pro game in the Pirates organization since being acquired in the Starling Marte trade in January 2020, but he hit .326 in 60 games across Rookie and Class A Short Season in 2019. Kevin Newman and Erik Gonzalez will man the position to start the season, with each capable of replacing the other if one falters. Gonzalez swears he isn’t bothered by Newman’s hot bat, even if it’s a small sample size that’s coming at his own expense. When it comes to the plate this spring, it’s no contest. Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz fields a ground ball during infield drills Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, at Pirate City in Bradenton. 2020 Pittsburgh Pirates Statistics 2019 Season 2021 Season Record: 19-41, Finished 5th in NL_Central ( Schedule and Results ) The Pittsburgh Pirates will have a lot of questions to answer this offseason. Currently viewing seasons between 2020 and 2020 Commenting is not available on any other stories. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. The Pirates Don’t Need Shortstops. Find out the latest on your favorite MLB players on CBSSports.com. Regardless of who wins, Shelton said he plans to be “extremely thoughtful” about giving his bench players reps to keep them sharp for the sake of the 162-game season after playing only 60 games last year. Which players on the trading block will be moved? One problem: genetics. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports. While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderating decisions are subjective. We moderate comments. If Gonzalez had a decided edge, it’s that he supplanted Newman as the starter last season and played more games at shortstop (38) than Newman (22), who played 20 at second base. Erik Gonzalez and Kevin Newman, shown fielding a ball hit by Cincinnati Reds’ Nick Castellanos for a single on Sept. 16, 2020, are battling for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting job at shortstop. Also, Oneil Cruz is tall. Let’s get the obvious out of the way here with Oneil Cruz. Which, if any, free agents will be pursued? and help us continue covering the stories that matter to you and your community. Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Oneil Cruz is happy moonlighting in the outfield but insists he's still a shortstop. Probably no position in the Pirates' system is as deep as shortstop. The Bucs top pick in 2015, Kevin Newman, will play shortstop. MLB Pipeline has released a new mock draft. Major League leaderboards for 2020 shortstops with fielding statistics. The Pirates have released veteran outfielder Brian Goodwin, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was among those to report. Both guys have run the bases, as well. One of the more disturbing developments in the pandemic-shorted 2020 season that saw the Pirates go 19-41 was Newman’s steep decline. Nevertheless, Gonzalez stressed the importance of playing every day, especially at the same position. Another question the Pittsburgh Pirates will need to answer pertains to the shortstop position. You are solely responsible for your comments and by using TribLive.com you agree to our The Pittsburgh Pirates promised a competition for the starting job at shortstop and, after narrowing a three-way battle down to two players, Derek Shelton is days away from making a decision. ... Gonzalez, a second baseman, was the the Pirates first round draft pick in 2020 … Team Names: Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Alleghenys Seasons: 140 (1882 to 2021) Record: 10576-10462, .503 W-L% Playoff Appearances: 17 Pennants: 9 World Championships: 5 Winningest Manager: Fred Clarke, 1422-969, .595 W-L% More Franchise Info We’re all on the same team,” Newman said. Both shortstops started strong, only to struggle in September. “There’ll be conversations with both guys, and I couldn’t be more proud of how they’ve come in, done their work both offensively and defensively. Gonzalez batted .282 with seven doubles, a triple, three homers and 15 RBIs in August but batted .184 in the final month of the 2020 season. Our goal is to provide substantive commentary for a general readership. Next up, Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Cole Tucker may be able to see … As a whole, the Pirates ranked 29th in total shortstop fWAR at … Full Pittsburgh Pirates roster for the 2021 season including position, height, weight, birthdate, years of experience, and college. This was despite several luminaries, such as Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa , having their playing time limited by injury. The Pittsburgh Pirates appear likely to draft a high school shortstop with the first overall pick. The Pirates could rotate shortstops early, with two days off built into the first nine days of the season followed by nine consecutive games. Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz warms up before taking on the Tampa Bay Rays in a spring training baseball game, Wednesday, March 3, 2021, at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Fla. (Matt Freed/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP) We do not edit comments. Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. What has been called a golden age for the shortstop position continued apace in 2019, with shortstops batting a collective .326/.445/.772 — a 100 wRC+. A few things we won't tolerate: personal attacks, obscenity, vulgarity, profanity (including expletives and letters followed by dashes), commercial promotion, impersonations, incoherence, proselytizing and SHOUTING. ... Pirates Reds: NL West. “I think that’s important, and I think the validation for both of them, both of those two guys specifically, is they came in and played really well, regardless of who it is,” Shelton said. We will start with the player who logged more games at shortstop than anyone else for the Pirates in 2020. He is a less-heralded player on a woeful Pittsburgh team, yet there is reason to suggest he could be a fantasy star in 2020… Newman and Tucker, both former first-round picks by the Pirates, are old friends from when Newman hosted Tucker on his visit to Arizona. Pittsburgh Pirates news from FanSided Daily, Pittsburgh Pirates: A Look At The Pitching Staff’s Spin Rate, Two Former Pittsburgh Pirates Make 2021 Hall of Fame Ballot, do with their arbitration eligbile players, Pittsburgh Pirates: Liover Peguero Is The Shortstop Of The Future, Pittsburgh Pirates: A Look At The Pitching Staff's Spin Rate, Pittsburgh Pirates: Bullpen Potential For 2021, Pittsburgh Pirates: Cole Tucker's Potential Role For 2021. In this case, we may fix spelling and punctuation. They are either approved or deleted. In the end, it was a typical well below league average offensive season for Gonzalez. Who will be the team’s shortstop in 2021? Erik Gonzalez and Kevin Newman, shown fielding a ball hit by Cincinnati Reds’ Nick Castellanos for a single on Sept. 16, 2020, are battling for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting job at shortstop. Baseball America Spring Training Prospect Report -- March 2, 2020. So the private conversation, in terms of what they’ve done and how they do it will probably be the most important thing.”. We make an effort to protect discussions from repeated comments either by the same reader or different readers. Terms of Service. “We’re all friends. By screening submissions, we provide a space where readers can share intelligent and informed commentary that enhances the quality of our news and information. We value thoughtful comments representing a range of views that make their point quickly and politely. ... Pittsburgh Pirates 2020 Top 10 MLB Prospects Chat. By Patricia Beninato @PTBeninato Mar 9, 2021, 9:30am EST Share this story. In his 24 games played … And that’s my mindset. Gonzalez finished the season with a +3 Outs Above Average. While he is already 21, the Pirates should be in no rush to allow this gem to blossom into the star he has the potential to become. When the Pirates traded Tony Watson away, they acquired this truly one of a kind shortstop prospect. Don't include URLs to Web sites. For as well as Gonzalez has hit — he is batting .353 (12 for 34) with a double, a home run and six RBIs in 13 Grapefruit League games — he has been overshadowed by Newman’s consistency. Slugger Albert Pujols designated for assignment by Angels, Pirates' Hunter Owen enjoys making MLB debut after 'crazy cool experience' in year away, 3-error game by third baseman Erik Gonzalez proves costly as Padres beat Pirates, Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. Oneil Cruz stands 6’7″ tall, but playing shortstop long term is not out of the question. During the 2020 season, Erik Gonzalez played in 50 games at shortstop and logged 308.2 innings at the position. Pittsburgh Pirates Photo Day ... poses for a photo during the Pirates' photo day on February 19, 2020 at Pirate ... the log jam ahead of him at shortstop at … He struggled down the stretch and finished the abbreviated 60-game season with a .227/.255/.359 slash line and a wRC+ of 62. Shortstop was one of the many areas of weakness for the 2020 Pittsburgh Pirates. New, 95 comments. “I’m not caught up in my numbers, his numbers being a little bit (better), this and that,” Gonzalez said Thursday. We follow the same standards for taste as the daily newspaper. Take Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Kevin Newman, for example. ... Pirates select four pitchers & top-ranked shortstop in 2020 MLB Draft (WDTV) Published: Jun. Pirates starting Ka'ai Tom in left field on Tuesday May 4th, 2021 Michael Perez handling catching duties for Pittsburgh on Monday May 3rd, 2021 Pittsburgh's Phillip Evans hitting fifth on … But these suggestions should be sent Hayes’ upside and massive potential were on display for the Pirates in the recently concluded short 2020 MLB season. The Pirates selected NM State shortstop Nick Gonzales at No. We appreciate it when readers and people quoted in articles or blog posts point out errors of fact or emphasis and will investigate all assertions. Newman batted .307 with three doubles, a homer and seven RBIs in August, only to hit .180 in September. We’re all rooting for each other. Erik Gonzalez During the 2020 season, Erik Gonzalez played in 50 games at shortstop … “At the end of the day, we’re going out there competing and we’ll see what happens.”. 7 overall. “I would rather be on that side of the coin than the other side of the coin, where we were choosing (from among) two guys who were struggling. Instead, corrections will be made in a blog post or in an article. After starting the season hot at the plate, it appeared Gonzalez might be having a breakout season. © 2021 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved. He hit … Yes, he’s a 6’7 shortstop. “We said we were gonna have a competition, and I said competition brings out the best in people, and we are definitely seeing that,” Shelton said. Pittsburgh Pirates Team History & Encyclopedia. Key fact: Inducted into the Hall of Fame’s first class in 1936 along with Ty … We welcome strong opinions and criticism of our work, but we don't want comments to become bogged down with discussions of our policies and we will moderate accordingly. The Dominican Republic native was 6-foot-1 or so 16-year-old when the Pittsburgh Pirates signed him. Because of the volume of reader comments, we cannot review individual moderation decisions with readers. Oneil Cruz insists he’s a shortstop. Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on Pittsburgh Pirates and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. We will start with the player who logged more games at shortstop than anyone else for the Pirates in 2020. To avoid distracting other readers, we won't publish comments that suggest a correction. You can contact Kevin by email at kgorman@triblive.com or via Twitter . Peguero was the first Pirate outside of the Top 100 prospects as ranked by MLB Pipeline. 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