MVN: Most Valuable Network

Today we take a closer look at the remainder of the Pirates depth at first base, including those who aren't yet but may eventually be in the Pirates' system.

Jason Delaney

Originally drafted by the Pirates in the 12th round of the 2005 draft, Delaney has split his time in the organization between first base and the corner outfield positions over the past three-plus seasons.

After a poor showing during his short stint in Williamsport, Delaney spent '06 putting up a very respectable .300/.379/.432 line at Hickory that was low on power but not excessively low for a player who wasn't really known as a heavy-hitter. He complemented that with a respectable 79:56 K:BB ratio that reflected the strong plate discipline he had shown in college.

He followed that up with a strong start to '07, posting a .340/.432/.536 line at Lynchburg in the first half of the season, but then fell off badly to the tune of .265/.370/.404 upon being promoted to Altoona. He did, however, put up the same 52:38 K:BB ration for the Curve as he did in Lynchburg in only 27 fewer AB's, a definite positive to carry forward.

He began last season repeating Altoona and appeared to have learned from his mistakes, posting a .294/.405/.425 line and a nearly 1:1 ratio while spending most of the season there, but again fell off while spending the last month of the season at AAA.

Delaney, who turned 26 in November, has shown ability and isn't ridiculously old, so I would still wager that there is room for him to become a useful, maybe even productive major leaguer - as long as you aren't expecting a power hitter. Judging by their numbers comparison, not unlike a poor man's Adrian Gonzalez.

Calvin Anderson

Anderson was the 12th round pick in this summer's draft, and the most glaring landmark to this young man's career is that he is an absolute behemoth. Standing at 6'7" and 240 lbs., it's hard to argue against Anderson fitting the power hitter mold. In three seasons at Southern A&M University, Anderson posted a .349/.450/.590 line and a 81:42 K:BB ratio in 330 AB's.

Those numbers make Anderson's Pirate debut - a .265/.337/.453 line at short-season State College - seem like a bust, but the power numbers and strikeout totals look a lot like a player who either wore down a bit or started pressing - some proof of which might lie in his nearly identical .293/.887 and .293/.898 numbers in June and August that sandwiched a July swoon.

Anderson may only become the next Brad Eldred if he doesn't reign in his plate discipline, but he's young enough (22 in May) that there's still reason to be hopeful. Besides, he's fricking huge!

Pedro Alvarez

Do I really need to remind you when this guy was drafted? Of course not. We are all well aware of his impressive pedigree and his power potential, but we also know he was drafted as a third baseman. There have been inklings of rumors that Alvarez's body may eventually grow into a first-baseman role, a la Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman or Mark Teixeira. There's also still the possibility that Andy LaRoche reaches the .295 AVG, .900 OPS potential he showed
throughout his minor league career, and that by the time Alvarez reaches Pittsburgh moving him across the diamond might be necessary. That's a ways away, but it's certainly not an alien-abduction level shot in the dark.

Dustin Ackley

As we all know, the Pirates once again have a top-five draft pick this season - No. 4 to be exact. Ackley is a 1B (slash future OF?) that everyone is absolutely raving about, even referred to - like Avarez - as the best pure hitter in the upcoming draft. He is now dueling with Grant Green, the SS out of USC, for the title of best collegiate hitter in the draft. The Pirates may well take a pitcher this year in the first round, but two of the three teams picking ahead of them either have a 1B in the system (Chris Marrero with the Nats) or aren't showing a glaring need for one (Adrian Gonzalez with the Pads), so the Pirates just might find themselves again having the chance to pick between a really great CIF hitter and a really great MIF hitter.

Drafting Ackley could likely hinge on whether the team is convinced of either LaRoche or Alvarez's development predicating a move, which is still very up in the air, but it's a definite option to consider. Also, even if management does think that Alvarez would need to move eventually, having two top-flight first basemen in your system is what some would refer to as a "happy problem."