This is one in a series breaking down players on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster.
It’s hard to believe that only two years ago Jack Suwinski was one of the more productive and most promising hitters on the Pirates.
Suwinski led the team with 26 home runs and a .793 OPS during the 2023 season, a year in which he hit .224 with a .339 on-base percentage and 74 RBI while finishing with a 2.1 bWAR.
But it’s been a much different story for Suwinski over the past two seasons. In 147 games between 2024-25, the 27-year-old has slashed a lowly .169/.271/.297 with 15 doubles, 12 home runs, 36 RBI and 167 stolen bases. Among players with at least 450 plat appearances during that span, Suwinski ranks dead last in batting average.
What’s led to the struggles? Strikeouts continue to be a key issue. Although he’s actually struck out less than he did during his career-year in 2023, he’s still struck out in roughly 30% of his plate appearances. The power that was on display two years ago has evaporated. His slugging percentage dipped from .454 in ’23 to .297 over the past two seasons while his ISO dropped over 100 points from .230 to .128.
Despite his continued struggles, Suwinski and the Pirates avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $1.25 million deal for 2026. The expectation was that he would be non-tendered, but Pittsburgh is clinging to its last hope that he’s able to get back to the player he was a couple years ago.
Now, just because the Pirates and Suwinski worked out a deal to keep him on the roster doesn’t mean he will be on the club’s roster come Opening Day. It doesn’t even mean he’ll remain on the 40-man roster all offseason.
But if he remains with the Pirates until the team reports to Bradenton for spring training, it will be now or never for Suwinski. With a strong spring, there’s a chance he could break camp with the team. But if he continues to struggle, he’s a prime DFA candidate. He’s out of minor-league options, by the way.
It was surprising to see the Pirates keep Suwinski through the non-tender deadline. While the price tag is reasonable, at this point, it will be even more surprising to see him overcome his prolonged struggles and suit up for the Pirates next season.
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