The West Virginia Power could be defined by one word…scrappy.
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Low-A club currently holds an 18-13 record, which is four games out of first and good for second place in the South Atlantic League’s North Division. The Power have scored 15 runs in their final at-bat over those 31 games.
“We’re finding ways to win ballgames,” said first-year manager Brian Esposito. “We’re finding ways to keep ourselves in the ballgame and at least giving ourselves a chance to win. Very seldom do we get blown out and if we are down, we find ways to punch back. We fight, we play hard and we’re aggressive.
“They are trying to work on some things and even though some of the guys aren’t having the success that they want, they keep on fighting. They keep punching back all the time, which is special. They are a special group of guys out there.”
This group of fighters is led by three of the top 30 prospects in the Pirates organization in Cole Tucker, Jordan Luplow and Tyler Gushue.
Luplow (3rd RD of 2014 draft/No. 25 ranked prospect in Pirates system) ranks eighth among So. Atlantic League third basemen with a .244 average and ranks eighth in the league in doubles (8). Luplow also is second on the team in walks with 14.
Gushue, a catcher, (4th RD of 2014 draft/ No. 28 ranked prospect in Pirates system) hasn’t had the start to the 2015 season that he wanted, but is starting to turn things around with a slash line of .221/.310/.312 with a .622 OPS in 86 plate appearances (17-for-77 with nine walks). Those nine walks rank fourth among the team.
His ability to make adjustments behind the plate on the fly could help make him an asset in the organization. In a game against the league’s leading base stealer, Gushue allowed a couple of stolen bases early on. As the game progressed, he settled in and was able to get solid throws off to get the runner.
“When you see a guy on base that is capable of stealing bases, you tend to try to do more than you’re capable of doing.” said Esposito. “As the game went on, he got back to controlling the controllables. He stayed true to himself, he caught the ball, he got off good throws and there it was. He recognized by himself where his throws were and made an in-game adjustment and took care of it himself”
Gushue has also been working on his pitch-framing, which is something the Pirates have focused more on the past couple of years throughout the system.
“He’s done a tremendous job of improving from where he was last year to this year,” said Esposito. “He’s improving and it’s all going to come with the reps. He’s really taking it to heart and generally making an effort for him to boost his defensive prowess.”
Tucker, a shortstop, (1st RD of 2014 draft/ No. 9 ranked prospect in Pirates system) is posting a .260/.298/.323 slash line with a .621 OPS, three doubles, one home run and eight RBI.
Tucker has his share of hitting and hitless streaks already this season, but the 18-year-old has matured into a clubhouse leader and doesn’t let any struggles keep him from his main goal of molding into a Major League-ready shortstop.
“He doesn’t hang his hat on the actual result meaning he doesn’t hang his hat on if he gets hits or not,” said Esposito. “He’s the youngest guy on our team, and in my opinion, probably one of the guys that leads this ballclub…which is tremendous for an 18-year-old kid to go out there and be a leader of this team.”
First basemen/DH Chase Simpson (14th RD of 2014 draft) has helped to pace the Power offense ranking fourth in batting average among first basemen and DH in the So. Atlantic League with a .278 average. He also ranks ninth in the league in home runs (4) and tied for third among first basemen and DH in RBI (16).
“I’m just trying to stay ready for the fastball,” said Simpson. “I can adjust to the off-speed pitches easier when I start looking fastball.”
Simpson already shows discipline at the plate ranking seventh in the league in OBP (.398) and fourth in walks (19). He also has reached base safely in 16 of his last 17 games.
“He has been giving us mature at-bats,” said Esposito. “He’s on his way to becoming a pro hitter. He goes up there with a plan in mind and he goes up there and attacks the baseball.”
Another name to look for with the team will be outfielder Connor Joe (1st competitive balance RD pick/ No. 22 ranked prospect in Pirates system), who made his minor league debut over the weekend after back problems kept him out of the lineup.
The pitching staff has a couple of solid arms anchoring the staff in Austin Coley and Junior Lopez.
Coley (8th round of 2014 draft) leads the team and the So. Atlantic League in wins with a 5-1 record and leads the team and ranks 11th in the league in ERA (2.25) in six starts this season while striking out 33 and only walking three.
Coley has solid control and will be someone to watch as he makes his way through the organization.
Lopez is 3-0 in eight appearances (12.2 innings pitched) with one save while striking out seven and walking four. What is impressive about this reliever is his gap in velocity. His fastball ranges from 93-96 mph and can occasionally touch 97 mph while his changeup drops to 80 mph.
He could make an impact on the organization if he can perfect his control.
(Photo Credit: Travis Berardi/PSN)
