Tuesday morning, the Pirates signed Daniel Vogelbach. The Vogelbach signing sparked the DH conversation in Pittsburgh, and who might get opportunities. Having a universal DH could open up many avenues for some prospects; here are a few Pirates prospects that could benefit.
Bligh Madris
Madris spoke with us recently regarding his recent big league spring training invite, and you start to get the feeling that this is the year he has the best shot to get to the majors and showcase his talent. Inserting Madris in the DH slot would be that same opportunity we mentioned.
This is not a detriment to Madris’ defensive ability; in fact, he has above-average skills, but for a prospect who needs major league experience, giving Madris every at-bat opportunity you can find will kill two birds with one stone; you give a prospect a shot, and as an organization, you get to see what Madris can offer you.
Bligh Madris launched his second career grand slam to seal the win over Omaha this afternoon. His monster hit is our @DriveToyota Play of the Game!
Cal Mitchell
Mitchell is a perfect example of how the universal DH can benefit a prospect on the cusp of the majors. If you watched the Altoona games in 2021, you could tell that Mitchell doesn’t look destined for a future in the outfield. Mitchell will bring home the bacon with the bat.
During the 2021 season, the leftie put up excellent numbers against righties. In 307 at-bats, Mitchell slashed .303/.354/.466 and carried an OPS of .820. Against lefties, Mitchell was a completely different player and slashed .200/.243/.284 and a .527 OPS.
Cal Mitchell Seeking Earlier Pitch Recognition, Quicker Decisions at the Plate in 2022
Mitchell could use some work on drawing some more walks with just a 5.5% BB rate, but thankfully his K% is a low (ish) 16.9 at the Double-A level. Power is there with a potential 50 grade in raw power, I would like to see some more pop in the bat, but Mitchell should have a nice little niche role as a big league DH.
Cal Mitchel with a
Mason Martin
Martin, although he holds his own at the first base position, SCREAMS classic power DH. We all know about the 70 grade raw power and the 25 bombs he hit between Double-A and Triple-A, but let’s look at his platoon splits.
Against righties, the lefty Martin slashed .244/.311/.497 slash line and had an OPS of .808. Against a fellow southpaw, Martin slashed .233/.336/.456 and a slightly lower OPS of .792. As you can see, Martin can hold his own against both righties and lefties.
The Pirates Are Getting Creative in Addressing Mason Martin’s Strikeout Issues
Yes, Martin does need to cut down on the K% (34.2 in Double-A), and yes, he needs to up the BB% (8.1 in Double-A), but if Martin can produce for power like we know he can, we may see him hitting bombs into the Allegheny sooner than later (maybe even as a DH).
Ok, can we please implement drone cameras at games?! I swear to god I thought Mason Martin was going to nail the camera
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