Pittsburgh Pirates’ Top 5 Storylines Of Spring Training
By Matt Shetler
3. Can Starling Marte and Neil Walker set the table?
Earlier in the week I examined the importance of Starling Marte not experiencing a regression in his second full MLB season.
Oct 7, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Starling Marte (6) reacts after striking out in the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals in game four of the National League divisional series at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: H.Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports
Marte was good in 2013, but has to improve in a major way in 2014. The same goes for Neil Walker, or whoever is batting in the two hole.
We saw what happened to the Pirates offense in the postseason when Marte and Walker struggled to get on base.
That can’t happen in 2014 as Marte and Walker have to set the table for Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez.
Looking at Marte, I wrote earlier:
"The 25-year-old Marte hit .327 with 11 RBI, 20 runs and seven stolen bases during April last year. While those are tremendous numbers, they also represented Marte’s best month of the season as he trended downward in most months, despite having a decent August. You also saw the effects of him not being able to get on base in the postseason where he hit only .125. Yet my biggest fear is the fact that he won’t improve on being a free swinger. His strikeout rate was scary in 2013 (24.4 percent, 17th-highest in MLB) and his walk rate was non-existent (4.4 percent, 12th-lowest). If Marte can’t improve on that in a big way, especially at the top of the order, pitchers are going to keep making him swing at pitches out of the zone. It was very impressive that Marte still put up a .343 OBP and a 5.4 WAR despite drawing a mere 25 walks on the season."
Both guys have to get on base more in 2014.
If they do the Pirates offense has a chance to be pretty good. If they struggle, so will the entire offense.