Now that Adam Frazier is gone, the Pirates start their search for next leadoff hitter

After the Pittsburgh Pirates traded Adam Frazier to San Diego, Derek Shelton was posed a question about which facet of Frazier’s game would be missed most: Batting leadoff or playing second base.

It was a tough question, given that Frazier, the National League’s starting second baseman in the All-Star Game, was leading the majors in hits and is a two-time Gold Glove finalist.

But the Pirates manager didn’t flinch.

“The lineup would be probably more challenging,” Shelton said. “And I know it’s an easy cop-out when you (had) a guy hitting .330 with a .450 on-base (percentage) and he’s leading off for you. It’s hard to fill that that role. That’s not taking anything away from Fraz defensively because he’s played Gold Glove-caliber second base. But when you have a guy who’s had a year like he’s having offensively and he’s leading the league in hitting, yeah, that’s that makes it more of a challenge.”

The Pirates knew Frazier would be difficult to replace, not only because he was hitting .322 with 28 doubles and 173 total bases in 94 games in the leadoff spot but that there wasn’t a natural replacement.

“I think losing that guy, just not from a production standpoint, but what he meant to the group of guys that are going to battle with him every night, we definitely miss him up top,” Pirates left fielder Ben Gamel said. “We’re gonna figure it out.”

Shelton suggested that filling Frazier’s spot at the top of the batting order could be a matchup-based decision, depending on who is playing and whether the Pirates are facing a left-handed or right-handed pitcher.

Against righties, the left-handed Gamel was the obvious choice. Against lefties, it was righty shortstop Kevin Newman. Switch-hitting backup infielder Wilmer Difo is another option when he is in the lineup, but that removes the team’s best pinch hitter from the bench.

“I don’t know if I’m searching for one that sticks. I’m just trying to run the best matchups throughout the lineup for us out there,” Shelton said. “Because of that, it changes who’s out there for us in certain spots. Just fluctuating with who’s playing and who’s not. If someone solidifies themself there, great. If not, we’ll probably continue to mix and match, depending on the pitcher matchup.”

Shelton stated his preference is to keep Ke’Bryan Hayes and Bryan Reynolds in the Nos. 2 and 3 spots in the order but said he didn’t want to “pigeonhole” himself, given the limited options.

The Pirates rotated Newman, Gamel and Difo as leadoff batters in the first three games after Frazier was traded, only to see them go a combined 0 for 11 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Gamel has batted up and down the order for the Pirates this season, but leadoff and the No. 9 hole were the only spots he hadn’t hit.

“I’m close to five years in the big leagues now, and I can’t remember a day I came to the field and I was hitting in the same spot I was the night before,” Gamel said. “I’m just happy to be out there, whatever it looks like.”

Gamel got successive starts in the leadoff spot against the Philadelphia Phillies and went 4 for 9 with a double and a run scored.

Newman had success hitting first as a rookie in 2019, when he slashed .328/.374/.502 with 13 doubles, five triples, 11 home runs and 45 RBIs in 74 games from the leadoff spot. But he lost that job to Frazier last season and struggled to a .215 batting average this season before hitting a triple Saturday night for his second extra-base hit in as many games.

Gamel and Newman said they don’t change their gameplan when batting first, even if they are accustomed to batting lower in the order.

“I think it’s the same approach, same mentality: You’re just kind of a table-setter, starting the game off,” Newman said. “It’s the same at-bats. You’re facing the pitcher a little bit earlier, so you try not to overplay it in your mind. Stick to what you can do and not try to get out of your comfort zone, whether you’re second or eighth.”