BRADENTON, Fla. – I’ve seen a good bit of the FCL Pirates in the early part of their season. As I write this, they’re 7-4, which is a pretty good reflection of what I’ve seen on the field — they look like a good team.
Whether that translates into major league players in the long term is a separate question that can’t be answered yet, so I’ll stick with what they look like now.
FCL Pirates Notes
**To begin with, the Pirates strike me as a very good defensive team. Whether it’s because of the organization’s focus at the lower levels on enhancing the players’ understanding of the game, I can’t say.
I can say that this team seems more fundamentally sound than what we’ve been seeing at the lower levels. (Anybody who saw a lot of the Marauders last year will know what I’m talking about.)
I got some confirmation of my impressions by checking the stats. The Pirates are third in the 16-team FCL in fielding percentage. Yeah, I know, it’s not the best measure, but it does tell us something at the lower levels. The ability to make the routine play is far more variable in rookie ball than at higher levels. As an easy example, the difference between first and last in team fielding pct. in the majors is 14 points. (One guess who’s down there at the bottom.) In the FCL it’s 41 points.
**The defense does extend beyond not making errors.
The Pirates have a lot of speed in the outfield, including at least two legit center fielders in Shalin Polanco and Braylon Bishop.
**Among the four players who’re mostly rotating between second, third and short, they’ve got three players who have a good chance of staying at short (well, but for the fact that they’re all on the same team): Javier Rivas, Jeral Toledo and Jesus Castillo. Luis Tejeda, originally a shortstop but now mostly playing third, has looked good when I’ve seen him.
THIS WEEKEND ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
Prospect Roundtable: Which Pirates Prospect Are You Following in the Florida Complex League?
Tahnaj Thomas: Breaking Pitch Key To Continued Progress
First Impressions on the Pirates in the Florida Complex League
