Jack

Suwinski

He had to be helped off, so this is probably more than a day-to-day thing. It’s terrible timing for Bae, who suddenly seemed to be in line for quite a bit of playing time with Jack Suwinski getting sent down and Nick Gonzales going on the IL. Suwinski might be recalled now.

The 25-year-old outfielder has plenty of power and speed, he just hasn’t been able to hit consistently enough to stick with the Pirates at the major league level. Suwinski was slashing a miserable .182/.264/.324 with nine homers, 26 RBI, nine swipes and a 79/27 K/BB ratio across 277 plate appearances. No word yet on a corresponding move for the Pirates.

Despite getting a hit in each of his first two at-bats, the Pirates pulled Suwinski from the game when the Cardinals brought in a left-handed reliever. The 25-year-old has been solid in July, going 12-for-44 (.272) in 16 games with three home runs and three steals, but if his usage continues to be this limit, it’s going to make it hard to roster him in most fantasy formats.

The Pirates bats came alive in this one and Suwinski’s game was especially impressive. He became just the 15th player this season to hit four balls harder than 103 MPH in the same contest. His swing-and-miss issues remain, but Suwinski’s power is indisputable and he has found himself with another opportunity to contribute in Pittsburgh’s outfield.

Suwinski had the two hardest-hit balls of the day with a 109.7 mph single and a 107.5 mph home run that traveled 448 feet. It was his seventh big fly of the season and is still hitting under .190 on the year He has started four of the last five games in center field for the Pirates, but he only posted one total hit in the other starts. There remains some potential here, but this might not be Suwinski turning a corner yet.

Suwinski also drew a walk. The 25-year-old showed some fantasy promise at times in 2024, and while there’s still 90-plus games to go for the Pirates and the outfielder, he has not lived up to that promise this season with a .173/.270/.315 slash.

The Cardinals are starting right-hander Sonny Gray, so Suwinski’s commission is notable. The 25-year-old is getting a chance to regain a spot in the Pirates’ outfield with Ji Hwan Bae on the IL, but he’s just 3-for-21 since returning with a home run and two RBI. He’ll need to do better if he wants to avoid being sent back to the minors. Michael A Taylor will start in his place on Wednesday.

Suwinski was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier in the day and responded with the only run of the game when he blasted a 375-foot home run off Tyler Glasnow in his first at-bat. He also struck out in his other two at-bats, and that’s a perfect encapsulation of Suwinski as a hitter. The 25-year-old had struggled to a .174/.268/.297 slash line before being demoted and was attempting to change his approach by being more aggressive in the zone to combat his high called-strike rate from 2023. There is clear fantasy upside here if Suwinski can make contact more consistently.

Suwinski spent a little over a week in Triple-A, but he’s back to take the place of Ji Hwan Bae, with Bae hitting the injured list. Suwinski hit just .174/.268/.297 while with Pittsburgh prior to the demotion in 2024, but showed flashes of brilliance in 2023. Still, outside of those desperate for power in NL-only formats, Suwinski should probably be left on the waiver wire.

It’s a surprising turn of events for the 25-year-old who posted 26 home runs and 13 steals in 144 games in 2023. Suwinski was attempting to make clear changes to his approach in 2024, being more aggressive in the zone as he tried to combat his high called-strike rate from 2023. Unfortunately, that aggressive approach also led to Suwinski swinging more at pitches outside the strike zone, so while his swinging strike rate and strikeout rate went down, his quality of contact also suffered. He had just a .174/.268/.297 slash line with a 6.1 percent barrel rate that was way down from his 15.7 percent mark last year. Perhaps an approach change in the minor leagues will unlock a strong second half for Suwinski as it did for Ke’Bryan Hayes last year. Only, that coach no longer works for the Pirates.