After sudden position switch, Pirates CF Jack Suwinski spending offseason in preparation

When the Pittsburgh Pirates made major position changes to the outfield last spring, it was with the intention to accommodate two of the most important players on the team.

With Andrew McCutchen expected to start in right field and Bryan Reynolds expressing a desire to return to left, Jack Suwinski switched to center in Grapefruit League play last February without much warning and little preparation.

The results were subpar, as Suwinski recorded minus-10 defensive runs saved in 931⅓ innings in 120 games in center. That tied with Victor Robles of the Washington Nationals for the second-worst DRS in baseball, behind only Oakland’s Esteury Ruiz (minus-17).

So, Suwinski is spending the offseason preparing for another summer in center by working on his ball reads and drop steps during field circuit drills in an effort to improve his first-step reaction and explosiveness.

“I can still see myself playing in all three (outfield spots),” said Suwinski, who also played 96 innings in right field (minus-1 DRS) and 85 2/3 in left (2 DRS) last season. “I did play all three before last year, but I’d say last year was the first time it was predominantly center.”

In fact, Suwinski played twice as many games in right field and three times as many in left in 2022. His best performance came in left field, where he had 4 DRS, while posting minus-9 DRS in 19 games in center.

But Suwinski isn’t seeking a position switch, even if he might be best suited to start in right field this season after leading the Pirates with 26 home runs, a .793 OPS and 115 OPS+. Now that Suwinski has a full season in center, he plans on being better prepared to position himself against hitters based on their tendencies.

“I honestly felt really comfortable out there,” Suwinski said. “I think a part of that is the guys on both sides of me. We were able to communicate well and just have a pretty good game plan going into it, like how we want to communicate with each other, how the wall is gonna play, how we think the crowd is going to be, things like that.

“In terms of, I think something to get better is knowing my space like as I have more room on my right at PNC than on my left. If I can steal a step in one direction or not, depending on the hitter, who’s pitching things like that. I’d say just like getting those factors a little bit to try and get a little step ahead.”

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Reynolds realizes the difficulty of playing center field, especially with so much ground to cover at PNC Park. Reynolds plans on staying put in left field — which has its own challenges with the 410-foot North Side Notch in left-center — and expects Suwinski to be beside him.

“I think Jack did really well,” Reynolds said. “He handled center well. I like playing next to him.”

Depending on what the Pirates decide to do at second base, Ji Hwan Bae could be another candidate in center field. As a rookie, Bae was often a late-inning defensive replacement in center. His 336 2/3 innings there were the second-most of any outfielder, and his minus-1 DRS in center was tied for the team’s best with Joshua Palacios (114 innings).

The Pirates also added a pair of outfielders with experience in center field in trades by acquiring Edward Olivares from the Kansas City Royals and Billy McKinney from the New York Yankees. They are expected to compete for an outfield spot with Palacios, Connor Joe and Canaan Smith-Njigba.

No matter where Suwinski plays in the outfield, he’s expecting a big season at the plate. After hitting .130 in August, Suwinski finished strong by slashing .289/.359/.489 with four doubles, four homers and 18 RBIs over his final 27 games.

As Suwinski learned the difference between when to be selective and when to be aggressive, Pirates manager Derek Shelton showed more trust in allowing the left-handed hitter to face lefty pitchers.

“Confidence, really, was a big thing going into the year,” said Suwinski, who made the jump from Double-A to the majors in late April 2022. “(It) was all super brand-new to me, and just trying to learn on the fly. And then last year, just that year before, going in with a little bit of confidence and knowing that I can play at this level and that I’m going to be pretty good and just going out there with a little more confidence. …

“I think there is a little bit more pop in there. Obviously, I want to be a better hitter all around in all areas. But, I do think there’s always going to be room to grow. I think as for myself, there’s more potential in there, and I just want to squeeze every bit out I can.”