In his first run through the Major Leagues last season, Jared Triolo hit for a .298 average, with a .785 OPS. These numbers were inflated, due to a .440 batting average on balls in play that would prove to be unsustainable.
At the outset of the 2024 season, Triolo has gone to the other extreme. He’s hitting .214 with a .556 OPS. His BABIP is .263, which is on the unlucky side, and should improve. The question is whether it will improve enough for MLB starter quality offense?
The Pirates have Triolo at second base this season, after the 26-year-old continued his BABIP-fueled hitting performance in Spring Training. Triolo can play all over the field, with minor league Gold Glove defense at third base, and the ability to even move to center field. Defensively, Triolo looks good at second, with a lot of big, run-saving plays.
The advanced metrics back up his talent. He ranks third in the Majors defensive runs saved, and second to Jose Altuve in UZR/150. Triolo has justified his ability as a starter on the defensive side. Even on the lowest metrics, he grades out as average.[ppp_patron_only level=”5″ silent=”no”]
Offensively, Triolo doesn’t have the same favorable grades. He is walking more this year, and striking out less. He dropped from a 30% strikeout rate to a 20% rate, and maintained a double-digit walk rate at 10%. Those are two trends which should allow for an advanced ability to get on base, especially once his BABIP corrects.
An issue with Triolo would be the lack of power. He has never graded as having more than average power potential, and his actual power production is below-average. He ranks closer to poor this year, in terms of Barrel %, Hard-Hit %, and exit velocity, per Baseball Savant.
Triolo won his job in Spring Training while going up against Nick Gonzales and Liover Peguero. I will say that the fact Triolo won over Gonzales and Peguero specifically is a good sign for how this team was put together. Gonzales was the very first draft pick under Ben Cherington’s rebuild. Peguero was the first big prospect acquired in a trade, coming to the Pirates in return for Starling Marte. If the Pirates wanted to put on a display about their rebuild, having Gonzales or Peguero in the Majors would have painted a better picture. Instead, they went with Triolo, who was the 72nd overall pick in 2019, and arguably a more deserving candidate at the time, based on MLB and Spring Training numbers.
With that said, Triolo hasn’t maintained his advantage. Gonzales has also created his own advantage, hitting for a .385/.434/.593 line in 99 plate appearances in Triple-A, with a greatly reduced 17.2% strikeout rate. At this point, with the Pirates seeking offense, they’d do well to turn to Gonzales.
Triolo has shown enough to deserve a spot in the majors. His defense and versatility could work well as a super utility player, playing all over the field off the bench. This might also allow his offense to adjust to the Major League level, with the chance to improve his contact and power abilities closer to average. At that point, he might be able to work his way back into the starting mix.
Right now, the Pirates need help on offense, and with Gonzales hitting, they would do well to give him a shot in the big leagues.[/ppp_patron_only]
THIS WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
This week’s featured column for Patreon subscribers looks at the below-average offense of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the idea of replacing hitting coach Andy Haines as a solution.
**Williams: The Pirates Are Severely Lacking on Offense
Jared Jones has been putting up better numbers than any Pirates rookie I can remember for decades. I looked at the early results from the right-hander, who is a Rookie of the Year candidate.
**Jared Jones is Having a Special Start to His MLB Career
The Pirates drafted Henry Davis first overall in 2021, with hopes of getting a power hitting catcher. He’s not hitting for power this year, and grades below-average behind the plate, which might necessitate a change.
**Henry Davis Has Questions on Both Sides of His Game
Paul Skenes is schedule for a two-start week this week, for the first time in his pro career. As the top prospect gets to a regular workload, I look at when he might arrive in the Majors, and how many innings he might throw.
**When Will Paul Skenes Arrive in the Majors?
The Pirates went with Jared Triolo as their starting second baseman out of Spring Training, which was a move that was deserved. After his early results, and early results from Nick Gonzales in Triple-A, they might need to make a change.
**Jared Triolo Looks Like a Major Leaguer, But Not a Starter – READING
Depth is going to be crucial for the 2024 Pirates to have a winning season. They’ve already seen a few players step up to contribute in the Majors. I looked at five depth options who have excelled this year, led by RHP Hunter Stratton.
