During the 2004 season, Oliver Perez had one of the best pitching seasons I can recall from a Pittsburgh Pirates starter in the last few decades. The Pirates don’t have a lot of great pitching performances to choose from since the days of Doug Drabek, and that’s been mostly true since Perez.
Perez had a 2.98 ERA in 196 innings, striking out 239 batters on the season. His K/9 mark is the highest in team history by any starter. His strikeout totals are still the highest mark since the 1960s, and fifth-highest in team history.
What stood out to me, as someone who started following the Pirates more often in 2004 specifically due to Perez, was the excitement when he got to two strikes. There was a point where a strikeout became expected, and there were so many points like that per game that a 2004 Oliver Perez start became appointment viewing.
So far, we’re seeing better from Jared Jones this year.
Jones currently has a 12.1 K/9, which is over a strikeout more per nine innings than Perez had in 2004. Perez had a 29% strikeout rate. Jones is at 36%. We probably won’t see Jones pitch more than 160 innings this year, but even in that amount, with his current strikeout pace, he could break Mitch Keller’s high mark set last year for most strikeouts in a season by a right-handed Pirates pitcher.
The success from Jones so far isn’t just contained to the Pirates. It’s also not even contained to rookies. He has the highest whiff rate in baseball at 39%. His strikeout percentage ranks second, just behind Freddy Peralta. Jones has half the walks allowed, by comparison.
In the Statcast era, the current strikeout rate from Jones would rank tenth. His whiff rate would rank third, behind only Jacob deGrom and Shane Bieber, both in 2020. Ahead of him on the strikeout rate list are 2019 Gerrit Cole and 2020 Tyler Glasnow. Both came up through the Pirates system, but both pitchers found elite success elsewhere.
That’s what makes Jones such a great story to watch. The Pirates are finally seeing these types of performances from one of their own home-grown pitchers from the day he arrived in the Majors — rather than after he went to the AL East. And Jones isn’t even the best rookie pitcher who is expected to make his debut this year.
In Monday night’s 4-2 victory over the Brewers, Jones threw six innings, allowing one run on four hits and two walks. He struck out seven, picking up 25 whiffs on the night. Jones threw 91 pitches, extending well beyond his limited 59 pitches last time out.
STATCAST HEROES
Jared Jones had 13 whiffs on 28 swings from the fastball, and 11 whiffs on 19 swings from the slider. He also had 12 called strikes between the two pitches. His total called and swinging strike rate for the day was 43%. STATS
DAILY VIDEO RUNDOWN
Andrew McCutchen got the Pirates on the board with his 301st home run.
Cutch starts it off! pic.twitter.com/qZhmeBLVco
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 22, 2024
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a swing and miss just completely overwhelm a human being. This was nasty by Jones.
Jared Jones just threw one of nastiest pitches you will see all season. 😮 pic.twitter.com/mDYibaevZe
— MLB (@MLB) April 22, 2024
Jones has quickly become appointment viewing, in the same way Perez was in 2004. Jones might be in the early stages of one of the best Pirates pitching seasons of all time. He also hit 100 MPH eight times tonight, so, like Perez, there’s lots of heat.
TODAY: PIRATES (12-11) VS BREWERS (14-7)
Game Time: 6:40 PM EDT
Watch: SportsNet-PIT
Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7
Pirates Starter: Bailey Falter, LHP (1-1, 4.05)
Brewers Starter: TBD
In the Minors…
- Indianapolis will send LHP Cam Alldred to the mound at 7:05 PM EST.
- Altoona has no announced starter for their 6:00 PM home game.
- Greensboro has no announced starter for their 7:05 PM game in Greenville. It’s likely to be RHP Alessandro Ercolani, who was slated to start on Sunday, before the game was postponed.
- Bradenton has no announced starter for their 6:30 PM game in Clearwater.
PIRATES PROSPECTS DAILY
The Pirates had several hitting prospects stepping up last week in Indianapolis, which is good, as they need hitting at the big league level. This week’s Pirates Prospect Watch looks at those top performers in Triple-A.
Pirates Prospect Watch: The Pirates Have Hitting in Triple-A
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THIS WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
The premium article drop each week features the best articles on the site. These are the ones that take the most time and work, but also the topics which occupy the most head space in my brain. In most weeks, there is a reporting aspect. This week’s articles featured more scouting, stats, and a bit of speculation.
In my premium column for Patreon subscribers, I looked at the cautious approach the Pirates are taking with Paul Skenes. I agree with the approach, but broke down how it could have limits that would call for him being up before the Super Two dates pass.
**Williams: The Pirates Should Be Taking a Cautious Approach With Paul Skenes
I wrote two articles this week looking at depth options who stand out to me in Triple-A.
Nick Gonzales was taken seventh overall in the 2020 draft. He’s dealt with swing and miss issues, which have kept him in Triple-A. In the early part of the season, he’s showing positive overall improvements with his strikeout rates, while still having some underlying concerns about swing and miss.
**Examining the Swing and Miss of Nick Gonzales
Malcom Nunez is a stocky corner infield prospect who can play third, but has the power for first base. After hitting three home runs to start the season, I looked deeper at the power bat of Nunez, and his brief history in Triple-A already as a 23-year-old prospect.
**Malcom Nunez Brings Plus Power Bat to Indianapolis
This week I also highlighted three lower level pitchers who have stood out to me in early looks as potential MLB starters.
The Pirates drafted Hunter Barco in the second round of the 2022 draft, while the lefty from Florida was out with Tommy John. Now fully recovered, Barco is pitching in Greensboro, and has thrown seven shutout frames in his first two starts of the season, with an advanced mix of pitches.
**Hunter Barco is Showing Why the Pirates Invested in Him
Alessandro Ercolani is a 19-year-old pitcher from the small country of San Marino, with a mix of six pitches that all show promise. The Pirates gave him the assignment of pitching in High-A Greensboro, which he embraced with four shutout innings in his debut.
**Alessandro Ercolani is a Big Talent From a Small Country
Patrick Reilly was drafted as a reliever out of Vanderbilt last season, but with a mid-90s fastball that gets up to 98, and a plus slider, it’s easy to see why the Pirates are giving him a shot in the rotation. He’s showing promising control results in the early games, reversing the issue that has held him back the most.
**Patrick Reilly Features An Elite Fastball, With Early Positive Results in Control
SONG OF THE DAY
