Spencer Horwitz could be the long-term first baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Pittsburgh Pirates were in dire need of acquiring a first baseman this offseason, and they filled that gap by trading for Spencer Horwitz from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Bleacher Report writer Joel Reuter thinks that Horwitz could be around for the long haul.
Horwitz made the most of his first extended opportunity last season, posting a 125 OPS+ with 19 doubles, 12 home runs and 40 RBI in 381 plate appearances. The Pirates acquired him in the three-team deal that sent Luis L. Ortiz to Cleveland, and he was slated to be the Opening Day first baseman before undergoing wrist surgery in early February that will keep him sidelined 6-8 weeks. Former top prospect Endy Rodríguez could get the starting nod until he returns.
Nobody from within the organization in the minor leagues is expected to challenge Horwitz for his job anytime soon, but the Pirates do have an intriguing first base prospect in Tony Blanco Jr., who played in rookie ball last season.
With a towering 6’7”, 243-pound frame and 55-grade power, Blanco has some intriguing offensive upside. The 19-year-old signed for $900,000 during the 2022 international signing period, and he hit .305/.385/.505 across 30 games in rookie ball while making his stateside debut in 2024.
Blanco still has a long way to go to get to the bigs, if he even gets there. This means that Horwitz, a 27-year-old with two years of experience in the MLB, could run away with the first base job and control it for a long time.
BD community, are you confident in Horwitz for the foreseeable future based on what we’ve seen from him? Chime off in the comments below.