Pittsburgh Pirates: Assessing Position Players For The Second Half

First Base

Jul 5, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman

(15) fields a ground ball against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

First base is an interesting position. I am not quite sure what to make of Gaby Sanchez or Ike Davis and I am not sure the Pirates do either.

Ike Davis– He reminds me of Pedro Alvarez because he is streaky. He had a good first couple of weeks but after that cooled off. His .091 average against lefties mean he will be sitting when a lefty is the starting pitcher. His batting average was .326 for the month of May but in June he was a .183 hitter and .143 this month. Davis is getting a chance to sit as the Pirates are finishing a stretch of four lefty starters and this is a chance for him to get back into a better offensive mindset. Grade C

Gaby Sanchez– Offensively he’s a slightly better version of Ike Davis, at least he has a .279 average against lefties, which is a big reason why he has a roster spot. With his struggles against right-handed pitchers which was well noted before the season, Gaby is that late inning bench option. Not too much to say here, him and Davis compliment each other well, but is that exactly a compliment? Grade C