Tellez is batting .183 this season with a .500 OPS.
Let’s get rowdy, Tellez? More like let’s get grouchy, Tellez.
Maybe that’s too harsh, but things aren’t going well for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first baseman. In fact, things couldn’t be going much worse at the plate.
The 29-year-old lefty is hitting .183 with one home run, six runs batted in, an on-base percentage of .275, and a .500 OPS. Not ideal. Tellez was 1-for-19 during the previous home stand against Boston and Milwaukee, his former team of three seasons.
Tellez looks lost at the plate and his emotions are starting to get the best of him. It might be time to check how many bats he’s broken during his recent slump, showing visible frustration in the box and going back to the dugout.
After defending David Bednar following his third blown save and boos raining from some sections of PNC Park, Tellez (if anyone) has been the Pirates most qualified to be booed. Should the boo birds be heard now? According to Tellez, who’s been here for all of five minutes, “That’s not what we do here.”
He’s slashing .183/.275/.225 in 71 at-bats and owns the second-lowest batting average on the team behind Henry Davis (.180). His statistical ratings also don’t help his cause.
Tellez ranks in the 27th percentile in batting run value (-2), according to Baseball Savant, and 27th in fielding range (-1). His 25 percent strikeout percentage is in the 32nd percentile and almost bottom third of the league. His calling card has been a low chase rate (24.8 percent) in the 65th percentile, but Tellez is only hitting fastballs.
He hasn’t been getting rowdy with breaking pitches, hitting .077 on breaking balls and .160 on off-speed offerings. His 35.3 percent ground ball rate is the lowest of his career to date but is only barreling up the ball 6 percent of the time, by far worse in his high career (8.4 – 2020). Tellez isn’t the same player as the guy who smacked 35 homers with Milwaukee two seasons ago.
The Pirates aren’t going to cut Tellez through one month of the season, but why not take him out of the three-hole when Ke’Bryan Hayes isn’t hitting or the cleanup spot altogether? That one seems obvious. Connor Joe is a much more viable first baseman offensively and defensively after Tellez’s gaffe against Milwaukee Thursday with his foot completely off the base trying to record a putout. Joe pinch-hit for Tellez three times facing the Brewers. He went 3-3.
Absolutely unacceptable stuff from Rowdy Tellez today.
Nobody will be held, or will hold themselves accountable for any of this, as always. That isn’t OK. pic.twitter.com/gmONIIf4T0
— Connor Williams⚾ (@Wins_Williams) April 25, 2024
Jake Lamb is hitting over .300 in Triple-A Indianapolis and Jared Triolo has played third in the past.
The Pirates didn’t invest all that much in Tellez for the season ($3.2 million) and should sit him for a few days to get his swing and mental focus back. Or else, the PNC Park boos might be coming back around to him this time.