Polanco’s star rising for Pirates
Gregory Polanco has been expected to become a star since his much-ballyhooed arrival in the major leagues a little less than two years ago.
The Pirates鈥� 24-year-old right fielder is one of the few true five-tool talents in the major leagues with his ability to hit for average, hit for power, run, throw and play defense. He also looks the part of a star with his sleek 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame.
After a series of fits and starts, Polanco is starting to ascend that status this season. In fact, a scout from a fellow National League team believes Polanco is the most-improved player in the major leagues in 2016.
鈥淗e鈥檚 gotten so much better in every phase of the game,鈥� said the scout, who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized by his team to speak on the record. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a better hitter now. He doesn鈥檛 swing at everything anymore He鈥檚 a lot more under control at the plate.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a better baserunner. He鈥檚 not trying to force the issue when it isn鈥檛 there anymore. He鈥檚 not falling down half the time when he rounds first base.
鈥淎nd he鈥檚 a better defensive player. He runs better routes and it鈥檚 no longer an adventure every time he has to go back to the wall on a ball.鈥�
Polanco was hitting .292 with four home runs and a .897 OPS in 31 games going into Monday night鈥檚 game against the Reds at Cincinnati. By comparison, in 242 games over his first two major league seasons, he batted .249 with 16 homers and a .685 OPS.
鈥淚 feel a lot more comfortable now,鈥� Polanco said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 because I have some experience now. I understand the game better.鈥�
In other words, as Pirates manager Clint Hurdle put it, 鈥渉e鈥檚 figuring things out.鈥�
Proof of that came Sunday in the Pirates鈥� 10-5 win over the Cardinals at St. Louis that enabled them to take two games in a three-game series at Busch Stadium, where they had lost 22 of their previous 28 games entering the weekend.
Polanco lined a 2-1 pitch the opposite way down the left-field line that struck the foul-pole about two inches from its base for a three-run home run that extended the Pirates鈥� lead to 8-2. It was an impressive piece of hitting, something he almost certainly wouldn鈥檛 have been able to do last season.
That leads to the question of how much better Polanco can get in light of how far he has come this season.
鈥淟et him play,鈥� Hurdle said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have intelligent answers other than you let him play. He鈥檚 learning how to hunt certain pitches at certain times. He also knows that he can move the ball around the field, and that鈥檚 his greatest asset.鈥�