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5 postseason keys for the Pittsburgh Pirates

By Nathaniel Reeves

Sep 30, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Charlie Morton (50) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 30, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Charlie Morton (50) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 6, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez (24) fields a ground ball hit by St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Brandon Moss (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 6, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez (24) fields a ground ball hit by St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Brandon Moss (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

Mix and match successfully at first base

Overall, the Pirates have very few holes in a solid lineup. Manager Clint Hurdle won’t have a ton of playing time decisions to make in the postseason and has a solid bench to work with.

However, Hurdle will have to do some mixing and matching at first base, including in the Wild Card Game. Some combination of Pedro Alvarez, Mike Morse, Aramis Ramirez and Sean Rodriguez could appear in any given postseason game, none of whom are terribly well-rounded players.

Of those, Alvarez could be the x-factor for Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes. Alvarez has a ton of power and represents a major home run threat, but strikes out a lot and owns a .318 OBP for the season per FanGraphs.

That doesn’t take into account the fact that Alvarez is a defensive viability, which will be magnified with offense at a premium. Rodriguez can play a number of positions well, including first base, and could be used as a defensive replacement more often than usual.

Hurdle will likely make his decisions based on matchups and game situations. While first base obviously isn’t an immediate strength for the team, there is the potential for the Pirates to get some solid production out of the position in October.

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