Pirates A to Z: Known for Gold Glove defense, Jacob Stallings showed off in walk-off wins

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 Miguel Yajure.

Player: Jacob Stallings

Position: Catcher

Throws: Right

Bats: Right

Age: 31

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 225 pounds

2021 MLB statistics: Stallings batted .246/.335/.369 with 20 doubles, one triple, eight home runs and 53 RBIs in 112 games.

Contract: After making $1.3 million this past season, enters second year of arbitration.

Acquired: Selected by Pirates in seventh round of 2012 MLB Draft.

This past season: Stallings said he’s a sucker for season highlight videos, and he provided his share for the Pirates.

Twice in a two-week span in July, Stallings lifted the Pirates to walk-off wins before the biggest crowds of the season at PNC Park.

Stallings capped a comeback from a six-run deficit with a walk-off grand slam off Edwin Diaz to lift the Pirates to a 9-7 win over the New York Mets on July 17 before 27,222 at PNC Park. Pirates reliever David Bednar called it “the coolest moment” of the season.

“That was a packed house, such a cool environment,” Bednar said. “It was awesome.”

Teams were 314-0 this season when leading by 6+ runs in the 8th inning or later.

Jacob Stallings made that 314-1. ???? h/t @ESPNStatsInfo

(MLB x @BudSelect) pic.twitter.com/RZ6ebkkgfZ

— MLB (@MLB) July 18, 2021

On July 31, Stallings smacked a sharp grounder to score Bryan Reynolds for a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies before a season-best 32,071 at PNC Park. It was Stallings’ seventh career walk-off and fourth of the season, including a two-run homer that scored Reynolds for an 8-6 win over the San Francisco Giants on May 15.

“He’s got a knack for walk-offs, for sure,” Reynolds said.

We love Jacob Stallings.#RaiseIt pic.twitter.com/Wn0WgkDx4Q

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 16, 2021

As much as Stallings has a reputation for his play behind the plate — from pitch calling to blocking to framing — on his way to winning his first Gold Glove award, he showed signs of being a multi-dimensional threat and clutch performer for the Pirates.

“I don’t think I’m really going to wow anyone,” Stallings said. “I’m not going to go out and make too many spectacular plays. I think my greatest strengths are just never taking a play off, never taking a pitch off, no matter the score or anything like that.”

Stallings recorded a defensive WAR of 20 and didn’t allow a passed ball all season in catching 892 innings over 104 games — despite spending a week on the injured list with a concussion.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton talked about the pitching staff having “complete confidence” in Stallings, trusting that wherever they throw a pitch he’s going to block or catch it and frame it in the strike zone.

“Words can’t describe how worthy he is of that,” Bednar said of Stallings winning his first Gold Glove. “All of the little things behind the scenes that he does to help with the framing, game planning, it’s just a boost of confidence whenever he’s out there. You kind of just say, ‘You got me, Stalls.’ It’s definitely awesome to know whatever you throw, he’s going to make it look good, it’s the right call. There’s a thought behind why he’s calling each pitch.”

And there was intention with every at-bat, as well. Not only did Stallings have career highs in doubles, home runs and RBIs this past season, he also drew more walks (49) than in the 137 games over the first five seasons of his career. That’s not to suggest he specializes in walks and walk-offs but rather a sign of his steadiness.

“I’m seeing the ball a lot better this year at the plate,” Stallings said. “I’ve walked a lot more — I don’t know what the numbers say; that’s just how I feel — but I think that’s indicative of things slowing down a little bit just because of experience.

“My goal is just to be as consistent as I can. … That’s just the name of the game. I’m not going to go out there and hit 30 home runs probably, so I just need to put together more consistent at-bats, put the barrel on the ball as much as I can.”

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington praised the leadership qualities of Stallings, who was the club’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award for his off-field contributions. Stallings is not only the longest-tenured player in the Pirates organization but the oldest, as the only player born in the 1980s, and he’s become a coach on the field.

“What people see with Jacob Stallings, the obvious stuff is how much he’s improved as a defender and the year he had defensively — and he did have a great year defensively,” Cherington said. “What’s harder to see is the influencer he’s becoming inside our clubhouse and what that means to a young pitcher coming up making his first start, what that means to our game-prep process, what that means to a younger position player teammate that might still be growing in some way or figuring things out in the big leagues.”

The future: Perhaps the most challenging aspect for Stallings was catching so many different pitchers. The Pirates set a club record by having 38 players pitch, breaking the previous mark by four.

The Pirates have prioritized adding catching depth throughout the minors, using the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft on Louisville catcher Henry Davis, drafting another in Wyatt Hendrie and trading for prospects like Carter Bins, Endy Rodriguez and Abrahan Gutierrer over the past year.

While they are groomed in the minors, Stallings has locked down the starting job in the majors. In fact, he’s the only catcher on the 40-man roster. Michael Perez, who was designated for assignment, cleared waivers and has been optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.

As the Pirates’ starting catcher, Stallings has endured a pair of last-place finishes in the NL Central but he’s looking forward to continuing his role as one of their top pieces. He’s projected to get a raise to $2.6 million, which remains a bargain for his defense alone.

Stallings made it clear that he wants to stay.

“I love playing here. It’s the only place I’ve been, obviously,” Stallings said. “I was in the minor leagues back when we went to the playoffs three years in a row (from 2013-15). Just to see this place, these fans rally behind winning teams is definitely something that I want to be a part of. It’s something I always envisioned myself being a part of. I certainly hope I get that opportunity. I definitely want that opportunity. Hopefully, it won’t be too long.”