PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates¡¯ offense has struggled to get much going all year, and it starts with the top of the order.
On Tuesday, Oneil Cruz took his second crack at leadoff hitter this season, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts to set the pace for the Pirates' 3-0 loss to the Nationals at PNC Park. Monday went much better, recording two hits and scoring twice, one of the rare games this season in which the Pirates got production out of the top of the order.
In just 18 games this season, the Pirates have had eight players take their first at-bat of the game. Before Cruz, we had seen Adam Frazier, Tommy Pham, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Enmanuel Valdez, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Jack Suwinski and Ji Hwan Bae all try to get the offense started. They have been mostly unsuccessful. The No. 1 spot in the order has produced a .127 batting average (9-for-71) so far this season, with a .244 on-base percentage.
So yeah, there¡¯s appeal for trying Cruz up top.
¡°I¡¯ve tried a bunch of different people there; I¡¯ve talked to a bunch of different people, some people had strong thoughts on him going there,¡± manager Derek Shelton said before the game. ¡°He¡¯s done it before, just trying to find what works. I think there is a chance that we¡¯ll run him out there for a bit and see how it works.¡±
There are obvious pros for having Cruz bat leadoff. He¡¯s taking more walks this season. He can steal bases. He¡¯s got great offensive potential. The downside is he¡¯s a potential middle-of-the-order bat, and he won¡¯t get nearly as many RBI opportunities.
In fact, just about every realistic option for a leadoff hitter comes with red flags:
? Pham and Frazier have plenty of experience in the role, but currently have OPS marks of .466 and .453, respectively. Suwinski fits the analytical model of someone who walks a lot, has some power and sees pitches, but his OPS is .477, even after a multi-hit game Tuesday.
? Kiner-Falefa offers speed and has some experience batting first, but he¡¯s in a 2-for-21 slump and didn¡¯t have a good showing as the leadoff hitter last season.
? Andrew McCutchen batted up top plenty last year, but at 38 years old, he¡¯s not really an everyday option anymore, especially with Bryan Reynolds limited to being the designated hitter because of his shoulder injury (though he is in a throwing program and could see the field in the near future).
Perhaps things would be different up top if Spencer Horwitz was available. He had a .357 on-base percentage with the Blue Jays last season, had the solid peripherals you want from a leadoff hitter -- such as a low chase rate and a high walk percentage -- and he would add some depth at a position that¡¯s been riddled with injuries. He was projected to be the starter coming into the year, and the two primary backups, Jared Triolo and Endy Rodr¨ªguez, are also on the injured list now.
It¡¯s just speculation that Horwitz was going to be the leadoff hitter (he hasn¡¯t appeared in a game in a Pirate uniform yet, after all), but having him bat up top against right-handers, and then maybe a southpaw masher like Hayes or Nick Gonzales (also on the injured list) against left-handed starters, could be a perfect pairing.
You can¡¯t really pair people on the injured list, though. So, for now, it¡¯s Cruz.
Perhaps Cruz can be a catalyst up top. Find ways to get on base, steal a bag and scrap together that early run. The offense needs a spark, and if it¡¯s not him, Shelton has shown he¡¯s not afraid to try someone else.