The Pittsburgh Pirates have begun making moves to improve the team for next season.
After finishing the season 76-86, the Pirates are ready to make some changes. They recently hired a new hitting coach, former Pirates player Matt Hague. Although the Pirates need to improve their offensive production, they do have talented hitters in stars Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds.
In a Q&A with MLB.com’s Jim Lachimia, Pittsburgh’s new hitting coach, Matt Hague, expressed his excitement with the team’s roster and what stands out.
“It is an exciting group, because they’re very strong and athletic guys, and we want to use that to our advantage,” Hague said. “You look at Bryan Reynolds, who’s done it for a long time at a very high level. His teammates have such extremely positive things to say about him and how he goes about his work. And then there’s the physicality and athleticism of Oneil Cruz, a guy who hits the ball extremely hard.”
“Looking at the roster, it’s the athleticism and physicality that stand out. So, it’s about bringing that together to where they do grow. It’s putting those puzzles together, one by one. No matter what stage of their career they’re at, they all want to take that next step, they all want to win, and they’ll do whatever it takes. It’s an extremely positive lens that all these guys are looking through. And I want to help mold that and bring that together.”
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Pittsburgh has a solid base to build around offensively. Cruz and Reynolds lead a group that has space to develop. The Pirates will have one of the best pitching staffs in the league and will likely be competing for playoffs if they get more offensive production.
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