PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It could have been an off-season where Jack Suwinski thought he had it figured out. Do some workouts and build off a big rookie season, instead he challenged himself to be better and he's finally seeing the results.
The 24-year-old had to be thinking about a hotel in Indianapolis earlier last month. The lefty was following up the 19 home runs last year with 22 strikeouts in 40 Spring Training at bats. He had seven hits, one home run. The first four games of the regular season, Suwinski was 1 for 11 with four strikeouts. He was hitting .148 in April 14 with eight strikeouts.
Yet even with options of keeping Canaan Smith-Ngijba or grabbing Cal Mitchell from AAA, the team stuck with Suwinski. A major reason according to Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington, on his radio show on the Pirates Radio Network & 93.7 The Fan, is the way Suwinski works. He will give himself every chance to get better.
Seeing there were too many swings and misses last year, Suwinski made changes in the offseason. As Neil Walker described it with the Fan Morning Show he basically went from a little more crouched position to more upright. Wouldn't seem like a major change, but Walker explains what that means.
"It has created a path for him to be a little more flat in his swing," Walker told Colin Dunlap, Chris Mack, Dorin Dickerson and Adam Crowley on 93.7 The Fan. "It's created an angle with the bat path to cover pitches mid-to-up in the zone."
While still flourishing where power-hitting lefties do, on low, inside pitches, Suwinski is now able to hit balls up harder in the strike zone. Walker said he's being more patient, he's 'exercising the growth demons' and is among the top five in the league in percentage of hard-hit balls.
"Most recently he's worked very intentionally to put himself in a better position to make decisions to make contact," Cherington said. "You saw it happen in Spring Training. A lot of times when a player is trying to make an adjustment or change something, short term that can impact the outcome. Can make the play in the field look messier at times. If you are committed to do the work, it can turn into better outcomes."
Even though it was frustrating, Suwinski stayed committed to the changes. Cherington credited the guidance from Bucs Hitting Coach Andy Haines to plow through the struggles and improve.
Since April 11, Suwinski has had one game where he didn't reach base and that was Sunday against Washington. Even with the 0 for 4, the average up to .279, the on-base percentage at .393 and he finished the month with five doubles, six homers and 18 RBI. He's driven in 14 since April 18 because, as Cherington said, he made the choice to work hard at it.
"He's running faster, which gives him a chance to play center field, not because he was born that way because he's worked at it," Cherington said on 93.7 The Fan. "He's worked intentionally at it. He hits the ball so hard because he's working at it. He's improved that skill."
For Cherington and the Pirates, they got out of the Adam Frazier trade a 24-year-old, power-hitting corner outfielder determined to work and under team control until 2029. For as much as Oneil Cruz, Roansy Contreras, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Bryan Reynolds are a part of the future, so to is the determined Suwinski.
