Pirates A to Z: Colin Moran discovered home run stroke, now needs to find a position to play

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z, an alphabetical player-by-player look at the 40-man roster, from outfielder Anthony Alford to pitcher Trevor Williams.

Colin Moran

Position: First baseman/designated hitter

Bats/Throws: Left/Right

Age: 28

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 200 pounds

2020 MLB statistics: Slashed .247/.325/.472 with 10 doubles, 10 home runs, 23 RBIs in 52 games.

Contract: First-year eligible for arbitration.

Acquired: Traded by the Houston Astros, along with Joe Musgrove, Michael Feliz and Jason Martin, in exchange for Gerrit Cole in January 2018.

This past season: If only every game was like the first of the season at PNC Park, Colin Moran would be a cult hero for the Pirates.

Homering in the home opener has become a tradition for Moran since he joined the Pirates as one of the central figures of the Gerrit Cole trade. In 2018, he received a curtain call after hitting a grand slam against Minnesota. Last year, he hit a leadoff homer in the eighth inning against St. Louis. And, in July, he hit a pair of solo shots off Milwaukee.

The first was the only hit allowed in five innings by Brewers starter Adrian Houser. The second, a 438-foot shot that bounced into the Allegheny River, was off NL Rookie of the Year Devin Williams.

Devin Williams only allowed 1 ER all season long and it was in his 2nd outing of the year on July 27 in Pittsburgh. Colin Moran destroyed this ball and it seems like every hitter who faced Williams afterward had to pay for it pic.twitter.com/NrnJM66bhS

— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) November 10, 2020

This time, the stadium was empty so the only cheers were automated.

“I didn’t realize it was opening day for a while,” Moran said. “Just felt weird out there. Felt good to be out in PNC and play a meaningful game.”

Moran also homered in the Pirates’ final home game of the season. He led the club in homers and tied Adam Frazier for most RBIs.

“It was cool. Anytime you hit a homer, it’s a good feeling, for sure,” Moran said. “Yeah, whenever you square up a baseball, it feels good.”

The home opener was the start of a hot six-game stretch for Moran, who hit five home runs and had seven RBIs from July 26 through Aug. 1. In-between, he struggled as the Pirates moved Moran from third base to a rotation with Josh Bell at first base and designated hitter.

Over the next six games, Moran’s batting average dropped from .321 to .231 as he managed only three hits and one walk while striking out eight times. After batting .277 in each of his first two seasons with the Pirates, his average dipped by 30 points amid the pandemic.

Colin Moran with a BOMB.#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/t2S2YLcLAi

— Pirates (@Pirates) August 13, 2020

On the bright side, Moran finally flashed the power that made his left-handed bat so appealing for the short porch at PNC Park. He hit 24 homers in his first 293 games with the Pirates, but Moran was on pace for 31 homers over a 162-game season.

No wonder the Pirates kept his bat in the middle of the order. He batted cleanup 32 times this past season, hitting .221 with five doubles, seven homers and 16 RBIs. He also hit in the three-hole 13 times, batting .250 with three doubles, two homers and six RBIs. Moran actually hit best at No. 5, with a .313 average in five games.

COLIN. MORAN. CAN.#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/2iG0YMEPrH

— Pirates (@Pirates) September 14, 2020

“I made some adjustments, that’s for sure,” Moran said. “Just kind of approach-wise and some stuff in the swing that I worked on in the offseason and in quarantine. I feel like I’ve just matured as a hitter, maybe, to use more leverage and hit the ball harder and try to get into good counts. For the most part, I feel like I’ve been working on squaring up the baseball. That’s been the focus rather than just trying to get hits. Trying to hit the ball hard and see what happens, I guess, is the simplest way. That’s what I tried to do.”

The bigger adjustment was to switching positions. The Pirates moved Moran to first after only four games at third, opting for better defense at the hot corner. Moran split his time between serving as DH (26 games) and spelling Bell at first base (21 games), though both fared better at the plate when playing in the field. It’s also where Moran sustained a concussion after a collision with Milwaukee’s Avisail Garcia that sent Moran to the seven-day IL.

“It’s different, for sure,” said Moran, who batted .250 when starting at first and .231 while serving as DH. “I think it just happened to play out like that. At-bats are at-bats, and try to take it like that. I definitely had more time to think. You just try to adjust. The consistency of at-bats every night is always a good thing.”

The future: Despite losing his starting job at third base, where Ke’Bryan Hayes provided a considerable upgrade and is now entrenched, Moran made the most out of his platoon role.

The big question is whether the DH will stay in the NL. If so, Moran could serve in a similar role next season. If not, the Pirates have to find ways to get his bat into the lineup.

Moran enters his first year of arbitration eligibility, so he could quadruple his salary from $593,000 to somewhere in the $2 million range. It’s possible the Pirates could try to deal either Bell or Moran, though they represent their most reliable power hitters.

Whatever the Pirates decide to do with Moran, they should have learned one thing by now: It’s best to wait until after the home opener.

Check out the entire Pirates A to Z series here.