Pirates All 40: Can Jack Suwinski Reclaim Status?

This is one in a series of stories breaking down members of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster.

To say that Jack Suwinski had a nightmare 2024 season might not justify how truly difficult his year was.

Suwinski entered spring training and eventually the start of the regular season with the expectation that he would be a force in the middle of the lineup. Instead, Suwinski’s rough year was a big reason as to why the Pittsburgh Pirates’ offense struggled so much.

Suwinski led the team in 2023 with a 26 home runs and a .793 OPS. Despite hitting only .224, he showed the ability to both get on base and do damage with his power.

However, Suwinski never got comfortable in the batter’s box in 2024. Across 88 games, the 26-year-old slashed .182/.264/.324 with eight doubles, nine home runs and 26 RBIs. His lackluster performance led to the Pirates optioning the left-handed hitter to Triple-A Indianapolis at the end of July. He didn’t return for the remainder of the season.

The biggest issue for Suwinski this past season was an alarmingly-high strikeout rate in both Pittsburgh and Indianapolis. Suwinski went down on strikes in 28.5% of his plate appearances in the big leagues, which was actually an improvement of about 4% from 2023. However, in marginally lowering his strikeout rate, Suwinski sacrifice the power that made him a threat two seasons ago.

On top of his offensive woes, Suwinski struggled defensively. In 85 games split between the three outfield positions, Suwinski was responsible for minus-15 defensive runs saved. He was also in the seventh-percentile in outs above average and the 25th-percentile in arm value.

The best news for Suwinski is that he has a clean slate as the calendar approaches 2025. But it’s going to take a lot of work and a strong belief from the Pirates if he wants to return to form and be a meaningful contributor again next season.

Background

• Suwinski was a 15th-round pick of the San Diego Padres in the 2016 draft out of high school in Chicago.
• The Pirates acquired Suwisnki from the Padres along with two others in a 2021 trade that sent Adam Frazier out west.
• Upon his arrival to the Pirates’ organization, Suwinski reported to Double-A Altoona. He made his MLB debut on Apr. 26, 2022 and went 1 for 5 against the Milwaukee Brewers.
• Career highlight: Suwinski hit three home runs including a walk-off winner against the San Francisco Giants on Father’s Day in 2023.
• Contract status: Suwinski is not yet ready for arbitration. He made $755,000 in 2024.