NATE McLOUTH
10/28/81; '00 25th; Whitehall, MI (HS)
L/R; 5-11, 170
| Level |
BA |
OBP |
SA |
AB |
2B |
3B |
HR |
BB |
K |
SB |
CS |
| 2001 A |
.285 |
.371 |
.464 |
351 |
17 |
5 |
12 |
43 |
54 |
21 |
5 |
| 2002
A+ |
.244 |
.324 |
.392 |
393 |
23 |
4 |
9 |
41 |
48 |
20 |
7 |
| 2003 A+ |
.300 |
.386 |
.411 |
440 |
27 |
2 |
6 |
55 |
68 |
40 |
4 |
| 2004 AA |
.322 |
.384 |
.462 |
515 |
40 |
4 |
8 |
48 |
62 |
31 |
7 |
| 2005 NL |
.257 |
.305 |
.450 |
109 |
6 |
0 |
5 |
3 |
20 |
2 |
0 |
| 2005 AAA |
.297 |
.364 |
.401 |
397 |
20 |
3 |
5 |
39 |
58 |
34 |
8 |
| 2006 NL |
.233 |
.293 |
.385 |
270 |
16 |
2 |
7 |
18 |
59 |
10 |
1 |
| 2007
NL |
.258 |
.351 |
.459 |
329 |
21 |
3 |
13 |
39 |
77 |
22 |
1 |
Although he was a late-round pick, McLouth would have been drafted much earlier, but he was thought to be committed to the University of Michigan. He impressed the Pirates during legion ball that summer and they shelled out early round money to sign him. After spending some time in extended spring training, he went straight to full season ball, where he hit for average with surprising power for a small guy and excellent plate discipline. His 2002 season was very disappointing, so the Pirates returned him to high A in 2003, installed him in the leadoff spot, and pushed him to concentrate on making better contact. He responded with a very strong season, finishing among the league leaders in average and OBP. He followed up with an even better season at Altoona. He came on particularly strong late in the year, with most of his power coming in the second half as he led the Eastern League in doubles.
McLouth's 2005 season was mildly disappointing, as he didn't hit with quite the same authority in AAA. In particular, he didn't show the gap power that he had in 2004. He got called up briefly in June and then for good in mid-August. He played only sparingly and hit very little until Pete Mackanin took over the team, after which he usually started in CF in place of the injured Chris Duffy. He hit very well after that, posting a 290/359/478 performance in September. The improvement wasn't surprising at the time, as his tendency in the minors was to start slowly at most levels and improve with experience. At one point he hit HRs in three consecutive games.
In 2006, McLouth won a roster spot over Jody Gerut with a standout spring, but he struggled throughout the year. Ironically, one factor that probably helped him a lot was the ability to make contact that he showed in spring training: he fanned only five times in sixty ABs. Manager Jim Tracy placed a lot of emphasis on making contact, at least with young hitters, so he can't have been pleased to see McLouth whiff once every four and a half ABs during the regular season. On the plus side, McLouth showed decent power and continued to be an effective base stealer. He had a reverse platoon split, posting an OPS of .835 against LHPs and .637 against RHPs, although the sample size is small. At one point early in the season, in an effort to get Duffy going, Tracy platooned the two, using McLouth against LHPs, a move that may have made more sense than it seemed at the time. McLouth's season ended in August due to an ankle injury.
In 2007, McLouth opened the season as a reserve and didn't hit much initially. By the end of June he was hitting 205/279/333 with one HR. When Duffy went out with a sprained ankle at the end of June, however, McLouth took over most of the time in CF and finally seemed to adjust to major league pitching. He hit somewhat better in July, then batted 270/356/522 in August and 315/457/574 in September. Especially surprising was the power outburst, as he hit seven HRs in August. McLouth's hitting style, though, isn't exactly what you'd expect from a smaller guy. He has a short, quick swing and is a dead pull hitter. That makes him well suited for PNC Park; he slugged .489 there in 2007 and .405 on the road. He hit for a higher average against LHPs but much more power against RHPs. Along with the hitting McLouth did an excellent job as a base stealer—Bob Walk has said he may be the best baserunner on the team—and he started drawing a lot more walks late in the year, leaving him with a good OBP despite the mediocre BA.
McLouth was rewarded for his
outburst with a seat on the bench, as Tracy gave the CF job to 27-year-old
rookie Nyjer Morgan on a full-time basis. McLouth did get some playing time, though, due to injuries to Jason Bay and Xavier Nady. The preference for Morgan reflected the same thinking the Pirates had with Chris Duffy, whom they also preferred to McLouth even though McLouth was younger and had a much better track record as a hitter. McLouth isn't a prototypical leadoff hitter and has only adequate range in CF. Luckily, the team's new management has shown a greater understanding than their predecessors . . . which is to say they've shown any understanding at all . . . of how runs are scored, so they seem to have a much better appreciation of McLouth. He went into spring training competing for the CF job with Morgan and won it with a strong showing.
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