Who gets the last Pittsburgh Pirates bench spot?

Of all the prospects the Pittsburgh Pirates have that could see time with the big league club in 2016, it may be Alen Hanson that has the best chance to make the Opening Day roster.

On Wednesday, co-editor Jason Rollison sat down with Josh Taylor of Trib Live Radio to discuss who makes the Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day roster. Listen to the entire conversation here.

Given that the Pirates tend to head north with seven relievers, eight starters, five bench players, and, of course, five starting pitchers, recently extended backup catcher Chris Stewart, and some combination of Michael Morse or John Jaso, utility man Sean Rodriguez, and Jason Rogers are all certain locks to make the roster. Rogers is the biggest wild card of the four. He’s capable of playing the corner positions, in both the infield and the outfield. Much like Francisco Cervelli entering 2015, he was very successful in limited major league plate appearances.  He is also at least average defensively, but he could also find himself without a roster spot once Josh Bell is ready if he doesn’t perform well.

Pedro Florimon may have been in a similar situation last season. In very limited action, Florimon couldn’t bat his weight, or even his high school weight for that matter. Until Jung Ho Kang returns from his injury, Florimon has a chance to make the team out of spring training as the team’s backup shortstop, but who gets the last bench spot, and will Florimon be able to keep a roster spot once Kang is healthy?

Jason Rollison and I believe the best candidate to fill that last bench spot on Opening Day may be the Pittsburgh Pirates fifth-best prospect, according to MLB.com: Alen Hanson.

Comparatively, Alen Hanson performed similarly to Pedro Florimon in the minor leagues. Sure, Pedro Florimon was a little better defensively in the minors at shortstop (.948 Fld%) and at second base (1.000), compared to Hanson at .932 and .980, respectively. However, Hanson performed better at third base (.871), compared to Florimon at .864. Conversely, Alen Hanson showed a greater range factor (4.96) at second than Florimon (3.94). Alen Hanson continues to hold the advantage at third base in range factor, while Florimon maintains his edge at shortstop in range factor.

Offense, on the other hand, was another story. Florimon has a slash line of .249/.322/.358 in the minors. To date, Hanson has hit .284/.343/.444 in the minors. More importantly, Hnason has an above average isolated power index (ISO) of .160, which is a measure of how often a player hits for extra bases. Florimon had an abysmal ISO of .109. Since joining the majors in 2011, Florimon has a slash line of .199/.262/.295 and an ISO of .096.

To learn more about ISO, read Steve Kubitz’s take on the stat here.

Florimon wasn’t without his moments though.  Of the grand total of two hits he had for the Pirates in 2015, this walk-off triple on August 18th against the Diamondbacks accounted for half of that total.

Of course, just a few hours later, he was designated for assignment to make room for reliever Josh Wall, who never made an appearance for the Pirates after posting a 2.93 ERA in 2015 with the Indianapolis Indians. Florimon would go on to accept the outright assignment before being called up in September largely to be used as a pinch runner, the position that was widely believed Hanson would be utilized for until a fractured finger in June interrupted a hot streak that had him batting as high as .296 on the Fourth of July.

The key to Hanson is his cerebral approach. Despite defensive struggles, some rough adjustments at the plate, and little to no protection, he was able to do rather well in his first full season at Triple-A.  Let’s take a look at some of the differences in splits between Hanson and Florimon during their time in Triple-A in 2015.

What really stands out is the clear reversal of fortune when it comes to before and after the All-Star break and the batting order. At every point that he has moved up to a new level in his career, Hanson has experienced the growing pains. When given an opportunity to adjust, he has returned to form as an above average hitter, as his 2015 first half highlight reel proves.

His ability to hit to all fields is typical of a switch hitter, and combined with the speed to get himself into scoring position, he makes an ideal candidate for the last bench spot. Given that Hanson can provide acceptable defense on the left side of the infield for a game or two, the key for his staying power will be his ability to adjust offensively to major league pitching.

Entering spring training, the adjustment would pose a major concern for general manager Neal Huntington.  Florimon, as bad at the plate as he may be, is still a proven entity. The Pirates know they won’t get much out of him, but the certainty of what he can provide may lead to him being kept over Hanson once Kang is back, sooner or later.

As a side note, learn more about what Kang and others are doing in preparation for spring training here.

Huntington may be slow to trust a prospect, even one with more than 500 Triple-A plate appearances, after Pedro Alvarez could have used some more refinement in the minors before being called up. Speaking about Alvarez, Huntington said, “My mistake was bringing him to the big leagues before he was ready. That was my mistake. In hindsight, giving him additional time in the minors probably would have been very beneficial. Things might have been different.”

He’s right, of course. Things might be different. For Hanson, they may have to be. With the likes of Max Moroff and Adam Frazier right behind him and Kevin Newman and Cole Tucker just a few years away, the time is now or never for Alen Hanson to prove he can be a valuable asset to the Pittsburgh Pirates or another organization.  First, he has to make sure he doesn’t let Florimon steal the last bench spot from him. He will take the first steps towards proving himself when the full squad reports in just ten days.

In Hanson’s own words, “I have a chance.” You certainly do, Mr. Hanson.

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