15 Key Pirates Position Players for 2015: #10 Corey Hart

2014 Statistics

255 PA/.203 BA/.271 OBP/.319 SLG/.266 wOBA

2015 ZiPS Projections

.249 BA/.309 OBP/.399 SLG/.313 wOBA

Why the Ranking?

I don't have a great feeling for Corey Hart's potential impact this season with the Pirates.  I guess that makes him an x-factor.  If the pre-2013 Hart returns, then he will have a major impact this year.  If his knees hold him back like last season than he is a summer-DFA candidate.  The projections expect something in between.  The Pirates are probably expecting/hoping just a little more than that.

Hart appears to be a leading platoon candidate at either first base or right field if Polanco has some of the same issues he had in the second half of last season.  This should be a role that Hart can thrive in since his career numbers against lefties are impressive.  He has hit .290 and has an excellent .504 slugging percentage.

If everything goes well with the team, the platoon should be the only reason that the Pirates will need him.  However, everything going well never happens and there are many scenarios where the Pirates will need Hart to make a bunch of starts in a row.  Hopefully, his knees will heal up and the Pirates can get the 2010-2012 player with 3-WAR production.  In my opinion, it is just as likely Hart is playing somewhere else in August.