WTM’S PLAYER PROFILE

Offensively, Kaiser has shown some power due to a good frame and strength.  He has a big load and leg kick, but Baseball America noted that he hits more ground balls than fly balls.  He hit for a .284/.388/.402 line in 2018 and finished his season with three homers in one game.  He also hit well in the wood bat Cape Cod league in 2017, with a .300/.403/.470 line.  The big frame makes Kaiser interesting, as it separates him from Stephen Alemais and other college shortstops that the Pirates have drafted in previous years, and could give him some power potential if he can hit for more fly balls.  Kaiser signed for a little under the slot amount of $673,200.

2018
A-:  212/303/260, 104 AB, 2 2B, 1 HR, 13 BB, 31 K, 7-8 SB
A:  302/338/381, 63 AB, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 BB, 15 K, 0-1 SB

Once he signed, Kaiser became the regular shortstop at Morgantown.  He showed good range and committed only one error in 28 starts.  His hitting was a different story, as he struggled badly.  Kaiser got a break when Oneil Cruz suffered a hip injury and the Pirates moved Kaiser up to West Virginia in mid-August to replace him.  Once he got to West Virginia, Kaiser suddenly started hitting, although his plate discipline remained poor.

2019
A:  200/331/325, 280 AB, 12 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 51 BB, 77 K, 4-6 SB

Kaiser spent the season at Greensboro, although he missed most of May and half of August with injuries.  Other than three games each at second and third, Kaiser stayed at short despite the presence most of the time of Ji-Hwan Bae.  Kaiser played very well defensively but did little at the plate beyond drawing walks, which has little predictive value for college draftees playing at this level.  He had just a .628 OPS against RHPs, compared to .729 against LHPs.  He struggled all year, with his best month (apart from two May games) being April, when he had a .690 OPS.  Kaiser’s struggles were part of the increasingly standard pattern for the Pirates’ college hitting draftees in low A, which is a level they should dominate.

2020
DNP

2021
AA:  195/280/322, 149 AB, 7 2B, 4 HR, 17 BB, 42 K
AAA:  111/273/222, 9 AB, 1 2B, 2 BB, 4 K

Kaiser started the season at Indianapolis, but in mid-May the Pirates sent him to extended spring training.  He didn’t emerge until July, the spent the rest of the season with Altoona.  He played mostly at short for the Curve, starting 37 games there and continuing to play very well defensively.  He hit about as you’d expect based on his previous seasons.

Kaiser appears to be an upper-level utility player now, which could be tough because the Pirates have a lot of infield prospects.