STEVEN PEARCE

4/13/83; '05 8th; Univ. of South Carolina
R/R; 5-11, 190

Level
BA
OBP
SA
AB
2B
3B
HR
BB
K
SB
CS
2005 NCAA
.358
.420
.703
229
16
0
21
23
23
2
0
2005 A-
.301
.381
.474
272
26
0
7
35
43
2
4
2006 A+
.265
.348
.482
328
27
1
14
34
65
7
5
2006 A
.288
.363
.606
160
13
1
12
15
32
1
3
2007 NL
.294
.342
.397
68
5
1
0
5
12
2
1
2007 AAA
.320
.366
.557
122
9
1
6
6
12
5
0
2007 AA
.334
.400
.586
290
27
2
14
33
45
7
2
2007 A+
.347
.412
.867
75
4
1
11
8
13
2
0

Pearce followed a breakout season in 2006 with one of the best seasons of any minor league player, dominating three levels and earning a September callup.

In college, Pearce hit for considerable power, especially for a small 1B.  He also made very good contact.  The Red Sox drafted him in round 10 in 2004 but didn't sign him.  Of the Pirates' numerous college draftees, he had the best debut.  The very high doubles total at Williamsport provided some promise of power to come.  Pearce lit up the SAL early in the following season and was promoted in May.  He didn't do as well at Lynchburg, and some of the HRs turned back into doubles, but he finished strongly, having easily his best month in August.  He had a strong platoon split at Lynchburg, but an even stronger reverse platoon split at Hickory, so these numbers probably don't mean much.

In 2007, Pearce opened at Lynchburg, which seemed to show the Pirates didn't regard him as much of a prospect.  In fact, in response to a question during March from Pirate fan Jim Sullivan, Dave Littlefield declined to identify Pearce as a potential breakout candidate.  Pearce then provided an accurate take on Littlefield's evaluation skills by going on a HR spree that earned him an early promotion to AA.  He was easily the best hitter in the Eastern League during his stay there, earning him a promotion in late July.  He continued to batter the pitchers in AAA, although an 0-for-12 finish dropped his numbers a bit.  In a September callup he did well, not looking at all overmatched.  Unfortunately, he got less playing time than he might have because Jim Tracy became obsessed with the speedy Nyjer Morgan and mostly played Pearce only when injuries forced him to do so.

Pearce is an interesting hitter.  He's very aggressive, starting his weight forward early in the pitcher's motion in an effort to drive the ball.  He tries to pull most pitches.  Scouts have expressed skepticism about his swing since he was in class A, doubting whether he'd be able to hit offspeed pitches at higher levels because he commits too early.  Despite these opinions, however, Pearce not only hammered the ball at higher levels, he reduced his K rate as he moved up.  He fanned only once every ten ABs in AAA, which typically is filled with breaking ball pitchers, and only once every six ABs in the majors.  One barrier Pearce faces is that he doesn't look especially athletic, so scouts don't like him.  That probably also played a role in Tracy's reluctance to play him, as Tracy is enamored of speedy, athletic types.  As Pearce's SB success shows, though, he's more athletic than the scouts seem to think.  He's a good baserunner who's very alert to opportunities to advance.  There's also no reason his defense should become an excuse not to play him, as has happened so often with young hitters reaching the majors with the Pirates.  He has good hands and is solid defensively at 1B.  In recognition of the fact that he's blocked there by Adam LaRoche, the Pirates started playing him in RF at times during his brief stay in AAA, and that's where he played in the majors in September.  Considering that he had no experience, he did well there apart from misjudging one flyball very badly near the end of the season.  He has a good arm.

Pearce hit for more power in spring training than any other player on the team, but the Pirates sent him back to AAA anyway.  They did announce that he'll play RF regularly, so his best chance of getting to the majors is probably a trade of Xavier Nady.  The notion that more time in the minors necessarily makes a player better, or at least can't hurt, isn't correct in my opinion.  If Pearce's 2007 showing was for real, the Pirates are wasting time out of his prime to send him back to the minors.

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