Jack

Suwinski

Suwinski hit .147 (22-for-150) with three homers and seven steals in 59 games last season in the majors. The 27-year-old strikeout-prone outfielder projects as more of a righty-mashing platoon option than an everyday option at this stage of his development.

Suwinski collected multiple hits for the first time since Aug. 10. He’s started 43 games this year and had multiple hits just three times, which is the kind of thing that explains his .148 average. Of course, Suwinski has never hit for average, but he showed enough pop to be a decent enough platoon starter in 2022 and ’23 anyway. That hasn’t been the case the last two years, as his barrel rate has gone from 14% to 10%. It’s possible a change of scenery could help; not only are the Pirates not very good at developing hitters, but their ballpark is perhaps the worst for left-handed power in the majors.

Suwinski missed 17 days with a strained right groin. He’ll go back to being an occasional corner outfielder against righties. His very bleak season at age 27 will probably result in him being set free this winter, but that’s not completely assured just yet. He’s hitting just .132/.286/.240 in 147 plate appearances.

No word yet on the severity of the strain or on how much time Suwinski may wind up missing. The 27-year-old outfielder had been slashing a dreadful .132/.286/.240 with three homers, eight RBI and six stolen bases in 147 plate appearances with the Bucs. Ronny Simon was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move on Friday.

The 27-year-old outfielder tagged Cubs’ closer Daniel Palencia for his 376-foot (102.0 mph EV) solo shot that gave the Bucs a 3-2 lead and proved to be the difference in the ballgame. Suwinski finished the day 1-for-3 and is slashing a cringe-inducing .125/.282/.240 with three homers and six RBI with the Pirates this season. For at least one day though, he got to be the hero on Friday afternoon.

There doesn’t appear to be anything wrong physically with the 37-year-old outfielder, it’s just a regular day of maintenance. He has actually been swinging a hot bat since the All-Star break, though his overall .262/.332/.366 slash line with just five homers and 33 RBI is very underwhelming. Jack Suwinski will start in his place in left field and bat sixth for the Bucs on Tuesday evening against Freddy Peralta and the Brewers.

Suwinski reached on a fielder’s choice in the fourth inning and stole a base. He hit a two-run home run off Carson Seymour in the seventh inning. Suwinski is going to continue to get chances from the Pirates due to his upside, but his strikeout issues make him an avoid for fantasy managers.

The story largely remains the same for Suwinski. He boasts impressive raw power potential, but continues to strike out at astronomical rates, which eliminates any shot of him emerging as an everyday player at the highest level. The 26-year-old slugging outfielder joins Pittsburgh’s bench mx ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Royals after putting up 12 homers in 53 games this season at the Triple-A level. He’ll continue to get chances, but he’ll need to cut back on the strikeouts to make it in the big leagues.

The 26-year-old is hitting .280/.382/.544 in 53 games at Triple-A this season with 12 home runs, 48 RBI, six steals, and a 63/28 K/BB ratio. With Tommy Pham’s name swirling in trade rumors, it’s possible that Suwinski gets another shot at the MLB level this summer.

It felt like it was only a matter of time, as the 26-year-old outfielder was slashing an anemic .128/.244/.154 with zero homers, one RBI and a 19/6 K/BB ratio in 45 plate appearances to start the season. He’ll see everyday at-bats at the Triple-A level in an attempt to get him back on track.