Newly acquired Horwitz poised to make his mark in Pittsburgh

The Pirates acquired Spencer Horwitz from the Cleveland Guardians on Dec. 10 in exchange for pitcher Luis L. Ortiz and a pair of prospects, and the 27-year-old left-handed hitter is in line to become Pittsburgh’s regular first baseman in 2025.

Horwitz made his Major League debut with Toronto in 2023 and then saw more extensive duty with the Blue Jays in 2024, batting .265 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs in 97 games last season. From June 7 on, the Maryland native was on the big league roster.

In the following Q&A, he discusses his approach to hitting, his experiences in the Toronto organization and his new opportunity with the Pirates:

How do you feel about joining the Pirates and the opportunity that lies ahead?

Spencer Horwitz: When I got traded to Pittsburgh, I was super excited because I know they’ve been looking for more offense. I talked to (GM) Ben (Cherington) and I talked to Shelty (Pirates manager Derek Shelton). It seems like it’s going to be a lot of first base, and I’m just going to come in ready to compete in camp. Nothing is going to be given to me. I know that. But it’s nice to feel wanted. That’s really exciting.

These days, baseball has a lot of players who swing for the fences but also strike out a bunch. Though you have power, your reputation is more centered around being a guy who makes a lot of contact and gets on base frequently. How important is that to you?

SH: Yeah, home runs are great, and I don’t know all the analytics on which way is better, but the way I was raised about hitting -- and still think about hitting -- is, “A walk is as good as a hit.” For me, hitting is, “Swing at the pitches you should and take the ones you shouldn’t.” It that simple. And if you’re taking good swings at those pitches, it’s just tinkering from there. I think there’s an art to grinding out an eight- or nine-pitch at-bat. I think I have power. I think I have plate discipline. I can work counts and do damage. I can be a pretty complete hitter when I’m at my best.

When you got promoted to the Blue Jays in early June 2024, you remained with the big league club for the rest of the season. How much did having that extended window help you -- instead of having to do the up-and-down thing?

ST: Yeah, I hit leadoff my first game and didn’t look back. I went through some lulls, but the Blue Jays let me get a lot of at-bats. I was lucky enough to have an opportunity there that was a good three or four months, and with that consistent playing time, I learned a lot about myself. What the demands are on your body, what the demands are on your mind and everything in between. I played almost 150 games last year combined in Triple-A and the big leagues (57 with Buffalo and 97 with Toronto). So, it was a long year, but an awesome year.

You worked with Matt Hague, the Pirates’ new hitting coach, when you played in the Toronto farm system and this past season in the Majors. Can you frame what he emphasized to you and how he has helped you as a hitter?

SH: Before I worked with Matt, I was not a real big thinker about hitting. I was more, “See ball. Hit ball.” Kind of old school. It took struggling in 2022 for about a month for me to open up and be willing to try some new things. From 2022 on, Matt taught me so much about game planning -- understanding what the pitcher is trying to do and what I do well. But also understanding the actual swing and what it’s supposed to feel like and what it’s supposed to look like.

You faced Paul Skenes early last year when you were both at Triple-A. What do you remember about those matchups against the guy that went on to become National League Rookie of the Year?

SH: Yeah, we faced Skenes twice, and he was tough. I mean, he obviously has electric stuff and an electric presence on the mound. And you saw how his year turned out in the big leagues. There’s nothing fake about that. But really the whole Pirates organization, to me, is known for pitching. They always have power arms and they always attack, attack, attack.

In addition to being an outstanding baseball player at St. Paul’s High School in Maryland, you were a defenseman on the hockey team that won a couple of state championships. What was Spencer Horwitz the hockey player like?

SH: Spencer Horwitz the hockey player liked to lay the body and wasn’t afraid to block shots. I wasn’t the best skater. I wasn’t the best puck handler. But we were lucky enough to win two state championships. I think I had about 10 goals in my whole career, but one of them was a game winner in the championship. That was really special. I was no Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin or anything like that. But man, I loved to play hockey. It was so much fun.