It may sound crazy to say, especially after watching Altoona score 19 runs in their previous two games, but offense has been down in the Pirates system this year.
You could probably point to a couple of things, as this issue isn’t just isolated to the minors, but also notably the major league level as well (and not just the Pirates hapless offense). We’ve seen quite a few hitters struggle in the system, maybe most notably Oneil Cruz and 2021’s breakout player, Matt Fraizer.
With scoring, and in turn home runs, down in baseball, the Pirates system has picked it up in another facet of the game looking to create more run opportunities: Stolen Bases.