Pittsburgh Pirates 2012 Position-by-Position Breakdown: Third Base
By Matt Shetler
Make no mistake about it, no one player will have the amount of impact on the 2012 Pittsburgh Pirates than third baseman Pedro Alvarez.
If the Bucs get the August and September 2010 version of Alvarez, they could be a pretty good team with a chance to compete in the National League Central. If they get the 2011 version of Alvarez, well you know the result, 20-plus years and counting.
The pressure will be on Alvarez from Opening Day on to produce. If he fails to do so, Bucs’ manager Clint Hurdle will turn to other options. If that ultimately happens, it would still be too soon to call Alvarez a bust, but we could start heading in that direction.
Starter: Alvarez
There’s no getting around his disappointing 2011 in which Alvarez hit .191 with 4 HR and 19 RBI. There’s also no forgetting the end of 2010 where Alvarez showed what type of production he’s capable of delivering. In the final three months of his rookie season, Alvarez hit .295 with 16 HR and 60 RBI.
That’s the Alvarez the Bucs need.
If he can be the middle of the order run producer the Pirates need him to be, then the lineup becomes better top-to-bottom.
He will draw criticism due to his inability to hit left-handers and his high strikeout rate, but if he’s driving in runs, the strikeouts don’t matter. Power hitters will strike out a lot and left-handed power hitters often struggle against southpaws. You just hope Alvarez starts to improve slightly in those areas.
2012 Projections: To say it’s a make-or-break year for Alvarez would be an understatement. It’s not really fair as people forget he was rushed to the big leagues way too soon and how very few professional at bats he really has. But that’s the way it is for Alvarez. Health and confidence are the two biggest things for Alvarez. He had neither in 2011. If he gets off to a good start in 2012, he’s capable of a breakout. He won’t realize his full potential this season, but it will be a step in the right direction. .251 AVG, 22 HR, 81 RBI
Backup: Casey McGehee
McGehee was acquired as insurance for Alvarez and will see at bats at both third and first base throughout the season. Hopefully if Alvarez has a decent year, McGehee can get most of those at bats at first, which would make the Bucs’ lineup better all the way around.
For a complete look at McGehee, take a look at the first basemen.
2012 Projections: 252AVG, 17 HR, 61 RBI (split between both positions)
Prospect to watch: Elevys Gonzalez
After being viewed as a utility guy since his pro debut in 2008, Gonzalez settled in at third base last season in Bradenton and has become one of the better Pirates hitting prospects.
Gonzalez probably isn’t viewed as a long-term third baseman, but if he keeps hitting, he’s going to continue to climb up the ladder.
He’s the type of player that doesn’t do anything great, but does a lot of things very good.
Coming off a solid year in which he finished second in the FSL in both batting average and doubles, Gonzalez could be slated for Altoona this season. It will be interesting to see if he keeps on hitting and what the Pirates will eventually do with him if he does.
Feel free to check out other parts of the series.
Part One: Catchers
Part Two: First Basemen
Part Three: Second Basemen
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