Pirates 2024 season in review: Infielders

Nick Gonzales, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Jared Triolo, and current center fielder Oneil Cruz highlight impactful infielders this season.

The yearly review of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ position groups continues with the infielders, an area of struggle and controversy at times in 2024.

First Base

Rowdy Tellez and Connor Joe took a bulk of the reps at first base this season. We know how things started and ended with Tellez, but the time in between had some bright spots. Despite this, Tellez totaled a -0.4 WAR with a .243/.299/.392 slash line paired with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs in 131 games. Tellez struggled to find his footing in April and May, hitting below .200, but responded with a .333 average and 14 RBIs in June. He hit five home runs in July to complement a .297/.338/.578 line before the trade deadline and .300 in August. Tellez closed 2024, hitting .116 in 43 September at-bats before being DFA’d.

Similar to last year, Joe started the season like a blazing fire, hitting six home runs and registering 23 RBIs through May. The problem came every month after. Joe regularly saw the field against lefties and found some success but totaled only 12 extra-base hits from June through September. That’s not going to get the job done. Joe and Tellez’s defensive performances went under the radar, fielding their positions well after Carlos Santana played like a Gold Glove candidate in 2023. The Pirates need a threat opposing teams fear at first base. Ben Cherington needs to find an impactful bat and defender, and an aging Paul Goldschmidt isn’t the worst idea.

Second Base

Home to Nick Gonzales and various others, second base saw numerous faces circle through the position. Gonzales closed the book on his first full season with a .270 average, seven home runs, 49 RBIs, and a .709 OPS. He should be looked at as the long-term answer moving forward. A groin injury forced Gonzales to miss significant time in August, paving the way for Ben Cherington to trade for Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

I want to see Gonzales show more of the 10-15+ homer power he has in his arsenal. He should consistently slot fifth in the batting order to lengthen the lineup and become a significant run producer like he flashed at times before the Pirates fell out of the race. Gonales has the ‘clutch gene’ you can’t teach and is one of the key players to point to who needs to take another step but whose journey is on the right path.

Shortstop

It started with Oneil Cruz, but ended with Isiah Kiner-Falefa at the busiest position in baseball. The Pirates suddenly moved Cruz to the outfield with a month to go in an effort to jumpstart a change in position. Cherington, Derek Shelton, and company felt a move was best for the current and future of the Pirates, and give Cruz credit, it’s gone better than a lot of us could have thought. It’s still early in the process, but Cruz is no longer regarded as a shortstop, only a center fielder. In 112 games at short, Cruz committed 24 errors and posted a .939 fielding percentage. Outside of the ever-steady Bryan Reynolds, Cruz was the team’s most consistent offensive player with career highs in long balls (21), runs driven in (76), steals (22), and a .773 OPS.

It paved the way for Kiner-Falefa to take everyday reps and starters at shortstop and bounce around the lineup. A utility man hitting .292 when acquired, Kiner-Falefa’s average dropped to .269, following a .240 mark in the black and gold. He swiped eight bags in 50 games but produced one home run despite seven in Toronto. The Pirates spent the bulk of September trying to see if Kiner-Falefa could be the everyday shortstop in ‘24. He didn’t grab the bull by the horns and cracked the door open for Liover Peguero to receive at-bats in the final week. Shortstop is another area the Pirates need to improve upon in the offseason and allow Kiner-Falefa to bounce around in a Josh Harrison role where he has thrived on past teams.

Third Base

I am significantly concerned about Ke’Bryan Hayes. Coming off his best season and a two-month stretch that catapulted his name into Pirates MVP talks, Hayes dealt with lingering back issues that crushed his season. Hayes slashed .233/.283/.290 with a .573 OPS, which would rank worst in baseball, if qualified. In 96 games, he totaled 13 extra-base hits, including four home runs and 75 strikeouts. The back injury is nothing to take lightly and should be managed with extreme caution. Rest hasn’t worked for Hayes in the past and ripped away a year of his prime. Surgery would be a considerable commitment, but would it result in the best-desired outcome? I’m worried about Hayes getting back to 100 percent health, and it slightly took away from a Platinum Glove-type defender. I hope all works out for Hayes, but it’s one of the most concerning topics in baseball.

Jared Triolo did a great job defensively filling in for Hayes. Triolo is one of three finalists as a utility man for the 2024 NL Gold Glove. Brendan Donovan (St. Louis) and Kike Hernandez (LA Dodgers) challenge Triolo for the award. Triolo played over 1,000 innings between second and third base and only committed three errors. He ranked third on the team behind Michael A. Taylor and Hayes, with six defensive runs saved. Triolo faltered offensively for large portions of 2024, hitting .200 or worst in April, May, and June, plus a .208 average in August, contributing to a .216 mark. He added 19 RBIs to his tally in the final two months to give him nine homers and 46 RBIs. Triolo may become a regular at third, depending on what happens with Hayes, and is sure to be a part of next year’s club, but he needs to improve his approach at the plate to earn more playing time.

Remember Me?

Alika Williams, Nick Yorke, Billy Cook, and Ji Hwan Bae also factored into the infield rotation. Yorke was the most promising of the four, debuting on September 16. Yorke hit two homers in 11 games and recorded 14 total bases. Williams the most of anyone (46 games) but hit under .200 and never consistently hit enough to stick in the Major Leagues. Cook and Bae bounced between first and the outfield. Yorke should receive playing time in spring training with the intention of finding him a permanent role. The Pirates had some bright spots in their 2024 infield but also has room to grow and improve at all four spots around the diamond.