Jung Ho Kang’s bat has heated over the last week, but what ramifications does his return to form have on the Pittsburgh Pirates as they fight for a playoff spot?
The Pittsburgh Pirates have quickly closed the gap between themselves and the teams occupying the Wild Card spots in the National League. Taking two games against Los Angeles and the first game of the series in San Francisco, both playoff teams in their own right, will do that to a team.
Many players have contributed to the recent turnaround of the ballclub, but Jung Ho Kang in particular has been hitting very well.
Resurgent Power In Unlikely Settings
In his last seven games, Kang is hitting .333 and connected for two home runs in the series at Dodger Stadium. Not only that, but he has shown great patience at the plate, taking five walks in that timespan.
For an encore, Kang took a ball to deep center in AT&T Park.
It has been a whirlwind of a season for Kang, as he started the season late as he recovered from the leg injury he suffered last season to the on going off the field issues that could be weighing on him mentally when he takes the field each day.
But at the Pittsburgh Pirates slowly start to play better baseball and become more and more of a legitimate playoff threat, Kang’s recent resurgence could play a big role. What effect can a hot hitting Kang have on the team?
King Kang Equals Lineup Flexibility
For starters, it adds another home run threat to a lineup that does not have many at the moment.
Sure, Gregory Polanco leads the team with 17 and Andrew McCutchen has put 16 balls over the fence, but Kang’s ability to turn on a ball should allow the hitters around him in the lineup to see better pitches.
Kang could be inserted into the fourth or fifth spot of the lineup, allowing the power that the lefty Polanco has found to break up the string of right handed hitters in the middle of the batting order.
Kang’s recent hot streak can also give Clint Hurdle the opportunity to have David Freese play first base more and keep John Jaso on the bench.
Freese has been a pleasant surprise this season and has done a wonderful job playing the corner infield positions. But with Kang and Freese both swinging the bat well, Hurdle can put both of them in the lineup and make it that much stronger, especially against left handed pitching.
If Kang is able to sustain this type of hitting, the Pirates could very well become a force as the season winds down and teams start to eye up postseason play. He automatically becomes one of the best home run threats in the lineup and allows the bench to become deeper by bumping someone such as Jaso to a non-starter role. The question is though, is his recent play here to stay, or just a tease of what he showed he could do last season?
Featured Photo Credit – Daniel Decker Photography
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