Pirates have bright spot in hot-hitting catcher Jacob Stallings

Jacob Stallings wears a loss worse than most Pittsburgh Pirates, and the way they lost to the Milwaukee Brewers on Eric Sogard’s walk-off home run Saturday night was particularly deflating for the catcher.

So, it’s hard for Stallings to find a silver lining in his own play, which has been one of the few bright spots for a team that has lost more than twice as many games as it has won through the first half of the season.

“It’s obviously been nice to do well personally,” Stallings said.

A year after he cleared waivers and climbed from third-string catcher to starter, the 30-year-old Stallings is the closest thing the Pirates have to an All-Star — though it’s just his luck that there is no midsummer classic in this shortened season. He leads NL catchers with a .323 batting average (21 for 65) and all MLB catchers with a .397 on-base percentage and has three doubles, a home run and 12 RBIs.

And Stallings has been just as effective behind the plate in handling a staff decimated by injuries that has used 27 different pitchers. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder leads all MLB catchers in caught stealing percentage (.455) this season, when he has picked off a pair of runners at first base and thrown out five others attempting to steal bases. He receives rave reviews for his game preparation and pitch calling.

“I would be hard-pressed to say that anybody’s caught better in baseball,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton, a former minor league catcher. “We’re at the 30-game point. When you start to talk about Gold Gloves and handing them out, if he’s not at the top of the list, I think people are missing it. I don’t think anybody’s caught better. I don’t think anybody’s blocked better. I would be hard-pressed if anybody’s thrown the ball better, and I think he’s carrying that consistency into his at-bats.”

Stallings has been on fire in August, slashing .396/.473/.500 with two doubles, a home run and 10 RBIs. He’s hit safely in 13 of 17 games, going 2 for 3 with a two-run homer, two runs and three RBIs in a 12-5 win over the Brewers on Aug. 22 at PNC Park.

Shelton credited the consistency of Stallings’ at-bats for his success, noting the right-handed hitter is batting .412 (7 for 17) against left-handed pitchers and .292 (14 for 48) against righties.

“You don’t see him over-swing,” Shelton said. “When guys throw away, he takes his hits the other way. When they throw breaking balls, he pulls them.”

Stallings did just that in hitting an opposite-field RBI double in the 7-6 loss to the Brewers Saturday night. He also had the tying RBI by drawing a four-pitch, bases-loaded walk against closer Josh Hader in the ninth inning.

After hitting .118 (2 for 17) through the first five games, Stallings said he “made a couple adjustments.” One was to stop pressing at the plate.

“Going the other way is a byproduct of a better approach and just being on time a little better, getting a little looser in the box and not putting so much pressure on myself,” Stallings said. “I feel like I’m getting into my legs well. That’s nice to do, for sure.”

What would be even nicer for Stallings is if he can start wearing wins.