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How Did Chris Stewart Start Hitting For Average After Joining the Pirates?

The Pirates added Chris Stewart to be their backup catcher prior to the 2014 season, getting what appeared to be a defense-only option. The former Yankees catcher had a .575 OPS in his career at the time, including a .584 OPS in his previous three years, while never topping .611 in a single season. He didn't hit for average, with his .241 mark in 2012 representing a high mark, outside of his limited time in 2007 when he had a .243 average.

None of this seemed to matter to the Pirates, as they were focused on defense first with their catchers, and didn't need offense from a backup.