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When it comes to players who are bound to make a big impact for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2017, a few names come to mind.
Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco are sure to put up big numbers this season, while David Freese could be poised for another stellar year while playing at third and first base.
Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen are guys who are expected to bounce back after rough 2016 seasons and Jameson Taillon has the talent to make a splash in his first full year as a big leaguer.
All of these names are expected impact players, but one name may fall through the cracks.
Jordy Mercer may be primed to have another year that garners him more recognition as a top tier MLB shortstop. After a career year in 2014 and an injury plagued 2015, Mercer emerged once again last season, hitting .256 with 11 home runs and a career-high 59 RBIs in 149 games. He also walked a career high 51 times and was very gooddefensively, committing just nine errors in 1245.1 innings at shortstop. His UZR and DRS numbers may be a little lukewarm, but Mercer certainly can play the position.
Throughout the last decade or so, plenty of players have played the shortstop position for the Pirates. The list includes the likes of Ronny Cedeno, Clint Barmes, Brandon Wood and Jack Wilson.
While Wilson was one of the faces of the Pirates franchise during the later years of the Bucs long streak of losing seasons, the other three players didn’t make huge impacts.
Before Mercer, the Pirates had issues at shortstop as they did with most positions. They were missing a spark plug at a position in which some of the best in baseball play.
This might be a hot take, but I predict that Mercer, if he stays healthy, will post career highs in almost every offensive category, proving to be a necessary impact player in the Pirates lineup. We already know he’s a solid defender, but he has evolved into a very good all around baseball player at his position since he debuted in 2012. After all, Mercer had the second lowest strikeout rate – 14.9 percent – among qualified National League shortstops in 2016.
In 2016, Mercer took huge strides, showing prowess at the plate, improved comfortability on defense and much better plate discipline. The 30-year old seems as if he is more relaxed in his role as the everyday shortstop and the Pittsburgh Pirates should expect him to continue contributing at a high level in 2017. If he can just manage a modest improvement in hitting with runners in scoring position – Mercer hit just .222 in that scenario in 2016 – he could provide excellent value.
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Baseball Talk on the Web
- Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com writes about Yoelkis Cespedes, the brother of Yoenis, making a name for himself in Caribbean Series.
- Sanchez also recapped a few Caribbean series matchups with Cuba and Mexico picking up victories Wednesday.
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