Three Pirates Who Must Bounce Back in September
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a big month of baseball ahead and need strong performances from their best players.
The Pirates have just 24 games in September to make a run at the postseason and must win most of their games to achieve that goal.
Pittsburgh had some players who struggled in August, and a new month gives them a chance to rectify their poor play.
If the Pirates can get the performances they need from these three players, they'll be in a great spot to compete in September.
Bryan Reynolds Needs to Escape Slump
It's been a rough time for Bryan Reynolds following the All-Star break, as he's hit .217/.296/.298 for an OPS of .594 in 41 games, with just 35 hits in 161 at-bats, one home run, seven RBI and 17 walks to 50 strikeouts.
Reynolds has been one of the worst-qualified hitters in baseball in the second half, with the 11th-lowest slugging percentage, the 13th-lowest OPS and the 28th-lowest batting average.
The most concerning part for Reynolds is his lack of power, just one home run, after hitting 14 home runs before the All-Star break, along with only seven RBI compared to the 59 RBI he had prior.
Reynolds had his worst month in August, batting .238/.322/.295 for an OPS of .617, with six doubles, five RBI and 12 walks to 28 strikeouts.
September has been statistically the worst for Reynolds in his career, but the Pirates seriously need him to step it up this month.
Jared Jones Must Find Consistency Again
The Pirates thought that they'd have Jones at his best again after an incredible month of July, but August didn't go as planned.
Jones posted a 0-4 record in five starts, a 7.40 ERA over 20.2 innings pitched, with 17 earned runs, 25 strikeouts to 12 walks, a .318 BAA and a 1.94 WHIP in August.
He ranked amongst the worst pitchers in baseball, with at least 20 innings pitched, posting the third-highest WHIP, both the seventh-highest BAA and ERA, plus the 19th-highest BB/9 (5.23).
Jones' worst start hurt his numbers dearly, eight runs over three innings in an 11-1 loss to the New York Mets at PNC Park on Aug. 9, but he struggled for most of the month.
He had issues with pitch count getting higher early, throwing five innings just once in his best start vs. the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park on Aug. 15.
Jones is still only three months from his internal brace surgery, and he unsurprisingly still has some inconsistencies.
The Pirates really need his energy and fiery attitude on the mound back in September, but also his fastball, slider and changeup to get batters out quickly.
Spencer Horwitz Struggling Post-Injury
The Pirates got first baseman Spencer Horwitz back at the beginning of August after missing more than five weeks with a left hamstring injury and also a concussion.
Horwitz then hit .141/.221/.154 for an OPS of .375 in 21 games with just 11 hits in 78 at-bats, a double as the lone extra-base hit, five RBI and six walks to 18 strikeouts, making him one of the worst hitters in all MLB.
He posted the second-worst slugging percentage and OPS, as well as the third-worst batting average and on-base percentage for all qualified MLB hitters in August.
It's a big contrast to his production before his injury, .280/.386/.455 with an OPS of .841, 11 doubles, 10 home runs, 33 RBI and 40 walks to 40 strikeouts.
Horwitz was a key part of one of the best offenses in baseball, and the Pirates utilized him throughout the batting order, as he could come through wherever they put him.
The Pirates need that hitting from Horwitz once again, and he needs to perform much better in September just for his own sake.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.