15 Key Pirates Position Players for 2015: #11 Chris Stewart

2014 Statistics

136 AB/.294 BA/.362 OBP/.331 SLG/.311 wOBA

2015 ZiPS Projections

.235 BA/.292 OBP/.290 SLG/.263 wOBA

Why the Ranking?

The Pirates would love if Chris Stewart could match his production (even without a sliver of power) from 2014, however, there is little chance that will happen.  Instead they are going to accept the player that they initially acquired before the 2014 season.  That is a guy whose value comes almost solely from his defense.  As a backup catcher this is not a big concern.  Stewart should be able to give them what the Pirates value most.

The big concern that does come into effect is the durability of the catcher position.  It would be a mistake to expect Francisco Cervelli to stay healthy for the entire 2015 season.  And that means that Stewart will have to step in to a starter role.  If this happens for an extended period of time, Stewart's lack of hitting will be a detriment to the Pirates lineup.

Additionally, there is some injury issues that could pop up for Stewart himself.  As a catcher, there is always risk of wear-and-tear injuries and last season Stewart had both knee and wrist issues last season.  In 2013, Stewart had foot issues while playing with the Yankees.  At the age of 33, these little hiccups can happen more frequently.  When combining the potential injuries and the lack of offense it is tough to put Stewart any higher on this list.