During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z: An alphabetical, player-by-player look at the 40-man roster, from outfielder Anthony Alford to pitcher Miguel Yajure.

Player: Anthony Alford

Position: Outfielder

Throws: Right

Bats: Right

Age: 27

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 215 pounds

2021 MLB statistics: Batted .233/.311/.406 with six doubles, one triple, five home runs and 11 RBIs in 49 games.

Contract: Not yet eligible for arbitration.

Acquired: Claimed off waivers from Toronto in August 2020.

This past season: Alford used a solid spring training to earn an Opening Day start in center field, only to whiff on his opportunity.

After going 2 for 24 in his first 11 games and striking out at a 55.2% rate while platooning with Dustin Fowler, the Pirates designated Alford for assignment. When he cleared waivers, he was assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis and used it as a chance to retool his swing.

Where Alford concentrated on his body positioning, staying grounded and using his legs to produce power, he also focused on his swing decisions. He had a tendency to chase pitches, as evidenced by his astronomical strikeout rate, and had to practice patience.

In 56 games at Indianapolis, Alford flashed both patience and power by batting .307/.420/.593 with 12 doubles, 14 home runs and 41 RBIs. Most importantly, he drew 33 walks while still striking out 78 times.

“If you’re gonna walk me, I’m gonna take those walks,” Alford said. “Eventually, I’m going to get hot. The biggest thing is just swing decision and not missing the pitches that’s in the zone. Obviously, at this level you’re not going to get too many of those. So when you get them, you can’t miss them.”

Alford got another chance in the majors in early August, after he hit three home runs in a three-day span. The Pirates selected his contract when left fielder Ben Gamel went on the 10-day injured list. This time, Alford made the most of his opportunity.

In 38 games, he slashed .266/.328/.477. Although he still struck out at a high rate (35.3%), Alford didn’t look as lost as he had at the season’s start. By September, he was starting to find a groove at the plate. He homered at the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 1, then hit back-to-back homers at the Chicago Cubs two days later.

“I think what goes into it is him seeing the ball,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “In seeing the ball, you have to be in a better position to hit. Your load has to be in a better position. Your timing has to be in a better position, and I think that’s one of the things we’re seeing and the thing that’s attributed to the better at-bats.”

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 3, 2021

The future: A former quarterback at Southern Miss and safety at Ole Miss, Alford has shown amazing athleticism and a reckless abandon for his body in patrolling the outfield.

Despite dislocating his right elbow by crashing into the center-field wall — the injury required season-ending surgery in September 2020 — Alford was fearless in making diving catches and showed strong closing speed in tracking down deep flies to the wall.

“I think just the way I play, I just kind of have that football mentality when the ball goes in the air,” Alford said. “I want to catch it before it hits the ground. When you’re diving and your body gets banged up, it takes its toll. But, at the same time, the thing that I’ve learned this year is there’s a time to do it and there’s a time not to.

“(If) it’s a 10-0 ball game, you should probably just focus on getting through that game healthy. But when a game’s close, I’m gonna take chances. The big thing is I want the pitchers that I’m playing behind to have that confidence that you can pitch to contact, because they know I’m out there. They know I’m going to put my body on the line for the team to make those plays.”

Now that the Pirates have parted ways with Gregory Polanco, there are opportunities for Alford. Bryan Reynolds played at a high level after moving to center field, and Gamel was solid in left, so Alford could be looking at a possible platoon or serving as the fourth outfielder.

The Pirates love Alford’s speed and aggressiveness on the basepaths but would like to see an improved jump after being picked off more times (six) than he stole bases (five).

“We know he’s really athletic, and he runs well,” Shelton said. “It’s just learning how to get good jumps.”

What Alford must do is show some consistency for the first time in his major-league career. That comes with confidence, which Alford appeared to regain last season.

“I think the key for it is confidence now,” Alford said. “I’m confident. I was comfortable up here in the beginning. I just faced some adversity, went down to Triple-A and I was able to make some adjustments and build that confidence up and really just believe in myself.”

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