With spring training underway, and the regular season quickly approaching, Pittsburgh Pirates first-baseman John Jaso is ready to prove that he can be an everyday player at First Base.
The Pittsburgh Pirates conducted their first full-squad workout down in Bradenton, Florida yesterday afternoon giving the coaches a chance to see the talent that they have for the upcoming 2016 season. Amongst all the hustle and bustle of the workouts, there are many players trying to prove that they can hold down their positions.
One of those players trying to prove themselves is John Jaso. Signed on to a two year deal over the off-season, Jaso will be looked upon to be the platoon partner for Michael Morse at first base throughout the season. An overall accomplished major league hitter, Jaso's bat will be a welcome addition to the Pirates lineup. However, On the defensive side their will be an adjustment period as Jaso only has 5 major league innings played at the first base position.
Jaso was brought up to the major leagues as a catcher and played that position throughout most of his career. He was known as a very good defensive catcher sporting a .994 fielding percentage at the position while committing 17 errors in 1971 chances. Then during the 2015 season he was moved to the outfield when he wasn't the designated hitter for the Tampa Bay Rays. That position move worked well for him as he committed 0 errors in 47 innings of work.
Jaso has played first base in the past, but only has 5 innings of work at the position in his 7 year major league career. In his minor league career he only had 15 innings of work at the position. Watching Jaso's progression at first base as the season goes on will be a big thing to watch as a Pirates fan. If Jaso can play the position at least at the level of an average major league first baseman, The Pirates will be better off in 2016 then they were in 2015.
Last season, Jaso's Defensive Wins Above Replacement was at -0.4 in the outfield. At first base, again in very limited action, Jaso had a 0.2 DWAR in his 5 innings in the major leagues. Compare that to Pedro Alvarez's -2.3 DWAR from a year ago and if Jaso can stay consistent at the position, he will be an upgrade over Alvarez.
Jaso will also be helped out by the fact that initially, he wont be playing the position everyday. He will get days off here and there and can learn by watching. When Morse is out on the field at first base, expect to see Jaso used off the bench in a pinch hitting role. Jaso doesn't have the power that you traditionally see from the first base position, but his ability to hit the ball into gaps and drive runs in will be crucial to this Pirates lineup.
Last season, Jaso hit .286 with 5 home runs and 22 RBI. The left hander is a far cry from the power that Alvarez showed, but his contact numbers look a lot better than Alvarez's. Of his 53 hits last season, 22 were of the extra base hit variety. If he can use the spacious outfield in PNC Park to his advantage he could be a big run producer for the Pirates during the 2016 season.
Jaso's power numbers could also increase playing in PNC. The short porch in right field will allow for him to take the ball out of the ball park more often than he did in Tampa Bay. The Roberto Clemente wall stands 320 feet from home plate compared to Tropicana Field's 370 feet distance. This extra 50 feet will make a big difference come the summer months when the ball has a lot of carry on it.
Jaso's strikeout to walk ratio last season sat at 1.39 as he had 39 strikeouts to just 28 walks. Jaso needs to improve on this over the course of a full season. He has never had the opportunity to play a full season at a position and 2016 will be his shot. If he can limit the number of strikeouts he gets and increase the number of walks he could be a nice option for the Pirates to have.
Overall, I expect Jaso to have a lot of success in a Pirates uniform. A proven hitter throughout his career, Jaso will be able to provide the run production that the Pirates so desperately need at first base. With the losses of Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez over the off-season, Jaso and Morse will be called upon to replace these production numbers. With Jaso's career production on offense, he should be able to fit nicely in the middle of the Pirates order. With the season approaching quickly only time will tell how Jaso performs in a Pirates uniform.
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