The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of “those” prospects that every team has in their system. The middle man, the in between guy. The kind of player that shows you just enough promise to make you think, “Maybe this guy is the guy.”
The Pittsburgh Pirates think that they have their third baseman of the future in Ke’Bryan Hayes, but Eric Wood may cause them to think twice. After having an impressive power streak in 2016, where Wood hit 16 home runs at Double-A Altoona, he played in the Arizona Fall League. His performance there and improvements seen in 2016 earned him a non-roster invitation to Spring Training.
Wood received some praise last season and in the Arizona Fall League later in the year. With his presence in camp, let’s check in on the under-valued prospect.
Back Down to Earth?
So far, Wood is having a mediocre spring. He has played a decent third base, but hasn’t done much to impress in 15 at-bats thus far. Wood does boast a home run this spring, possibly showing the Pittsburgh Pirates that his power rush last season was not just a one trick pony.
One of the main reasons that Eric Wood got the chance to play with the Bucs in Spring Training is how he performed in the Arizona Fall League. Wood showed very nicely in the desert, with 39 hits in 88 at bats along with three homeruns. The Arizona Fall League is a very skilled league, with many clubs sending some of their best prospects. The 24 year old was also able to tally 20 RBI’s in the league. There is no doubt that Wood has impressed the Pittsburgh Pirates with the improvements in his bat over the past two years. A promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis is likely for 2017, but Wood will have to show that he can at least look competent in camp and against Triple-A pitching for him to stick there.
Non Base Percentage
One area that Wood has struggled with on a consistent basis is his on base percentage. There is no doubt that the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to be watching that very closely this spring. They will not necessarily be looking for results, but rather approach at the plate. At this point in his development, it is fair to ask for at least an average eye at the plate, and an understanding of how pitchers will attack him.
Another area of concern when looking at Wood’s game is that he does not hit for a particular high average. He is a career .255 hitter when looking at all of his minor league experience. Although, the Pittsburgh Pirates may be able to look past those faults if Wood continues to show the power he has been displaying of late. Iis worth mentioning that Wood is outperforming those numbers exponentially if you include the tail-end of last season and the Arizona Fall League.
It will be very difficult for Wood to jump Ke’Bryan Hayes and Will Craig in the Pirates system, but not impossible. Hayes has been crowned by the fan base and many evaluators as the next third baseman in the wings, and Wood would have to perform very well to break that thinking.
Wood needs to take advantage of the opportunity that is in front of him currently in Bradenton. He needs to show the coaching staff that he is committed to being more selective at the plate and his power surge will not run out after only one solid season. If he is able to do the aforementioned items and show the staff that he is willing to work hard, maybe he will get a shot sooner rather than later.
Image Credit – Jeffrey Hyde – Flickr Creative Commons
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