BRADENTON - The offensive approach the Pirates are taking this year at the big league level has received a lot of attention. The team is putting a bigger emphasis on getting on base and hitting for extra base hit power, while sacrificing home runs and cutting down on strikeouts. The result so far is that the Pirates rank first in the NL in OBP (.379), second in wRC+ (122) and wOBA (.359) and fourth in runs (110).
That approach isn't just limited to the big league level. They've taken the same approach in the minors with their drafts in recent years, focusing heavily on guys who get on base, hit for gap power, have speed and play a premium defensive position, but don't hit for home runs.