Isiah Kiner-Falefa Finding Unique Ways to Stay Consistent Offensively

Isiah Kiner-Falefa isn’t your prototypical player in today’s game, but the 30-year-old is finding ways to make things work.

Kiner-Falefa is in his second season with the Pirates after he was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays at last year’s trade deadline.

Among the regulars on the roster, Kinder-Falefa is leading the team by a wide margin with a .285 batting average. Adapting his gameplan from home games to road games has been beneficial in that.

“I think just experience, experience and being able to use the whole field,” he said on his solid performance this season. “Trying to hit my home runs on the road and when I get (to PNC Park), I just try to shoot the gaps and play to the field. I think last year when I got here I was trying to hit home runs and slug. That’s just not the right thing to do for a righty here. I think playing here has kind of helped me stay within myself.”

Despite the team’s team-wide struggles offensively this season, Kiner-Falefa has found a way to be consistent. If he had enough at-bats to qualify, Kiner-Falefa would be 17th in the National League in batting average.

The veteran is just trying to keep things simple and resist the temptation of trying to do too much.

“It’s contagious, so when things aren’t going right you definitely try to be the hero,” he explained. “I think going through that last year, I kind of put myself in a rut coming over from Toronto. Just learning from my mistakes and trying to be an on-base machine. Trying to get my hits until the power hopefully comes. Just trying to stay afloat until things really start to click.”

Though Kinder-Falefa wasn’t trying to be the hero, he served as one last night in the Pirates’ comeback win over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.

The Pirates trailed 6-0 before rallying. After cutting the deficit to three runs in the eighth, Kiner-Falefa stepped to the plate with three runners on and cleared the bases with a double down the third base line. Bryan Reynolds’ three-run home run sealed the win, and Kiner-Falefa scored the game-winning run.

As he has for much of the season, Kiner-Falefa hit ninth for the Pirates. Not only did he do damage on Tuesday, but he served as a table-setter for the top of the lineup.

Given his production this season, it could make sense for the Pirates to move him up in the lineup, but Kiner-Falefa enjoys hitting at the bottom.

“I really enjoy the bottom of the order. I’m able to hit and run, bunt, do the things that you wouldn’t really do at the top of the order. It just gives me an opportunity to run the bases as well… It just frees me up a lot too. I’m able to shoot holes and make things really happen down there.”

In a sport that has embraced the three-true outcomes of either a strikeout, walk, or home run, Kiner-Falefa is a rare breed.

Hitting where he does in the lineup allows Kiner-Falefa to play to his strengths.

“I feel like in the top of the order you’re more slug and a traditional-type hitter. I’m more of like the old-school type of guy – put the ball in play, contact, run the bases. I feel like I have a better chance to do that at the bottom.”

Kiner-Falefa feels like the Pirates’ offense is playing better than the numbers show, though he said there is obvious room for improvement. He’s seen too many balls he thought were sure homers to left field at PNC Park come up short or get caught.

In a weird way, it’s actually benefited him.

“It’s been frustrating for a lot of guys, me included,” he said. “But for me personally, it’s actually helped me, because if these guys can’t get it out, I gotta go and play my game. That’s where I’ve been able to not fall in that trap.”

The Pirates’ offense showed plenty of life on Tuesday night for the first time in a long time. Kiner-Falefa was a big part of that by coming up with a big hit.

If the bats are going to be consistent for the rest of the season, the team might benefit from looking to Kiner-Falefa’s lead. Play to your strengths, don’t try and do too much, and be comfortable embracing small ball.