Gregory Polanco is Pittsburgh Pirates' X-Factor in 2016

In a fiercely competitive division like the NL Central, even the unlikeliest contributor can make all the difference for a team. The Pittsburgh Pirates have several potential “X-factors” on their squad, players whose individual performances could play a big role in the club’s 2016 fate.

While many fans in Pittsburgh may be anticipating a possible call-up at some point in the year for top pitching prospect Tyler Glasnow, right fielder Gregory Polanco is one player who will be on the Opening Day roster and could make a surprisingly large impact throughout the season.

Last year Polanco received the opportunity to assert himself as an everyday player for the Bucs. As mentioned in our Pirates Spring Training preview, the result was a mostly disappointing season for a young player navigating his first full campaign at the big league level.

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Polanco worked his way through the Pittsburgh farm system to strong reviews, and in 2013 he was named the 12th best prospect in the game in Baseball Prospectus’ midseason rankings. He made his major league debut in 2014 and played about half the season, struggling to find his footing (.650 OPS). The following year was expected to be his time to shine, however.

Though he showed flashes of that talent throughout the 2015 season, Polanco spent long stretches failing to really establish himself at the plate. He finished the year with a modest .256/.320/.381 slash line, nine home runs and 52 RBIs. Nevertheless, he did demonstrate some skill on the base paths, racking up 27 steals.

The Pirates will hope for a sizable improvement from Polanco in the new season, and if they get it, it would be a significant boost to their lineup. The Bucs didn’t exactly falter on offense in 2015. They posted a 99 wRC+ as a team, good for 11th in MLB. Making some more positive strides at the plate, however, would go a long way toward keeping the Cubs and Cardinals at bay.

The Bucs already boast one of the best outfielders in baseball in Andrew McCutchen, and last year left fielder Starling Marte made sure a lot more fans around the league knew his name. The 27-year-old turned in a breakout performance in his third full big league season, slashing .287/.337/.444 with 19 homers, 81 RBIs and 30 steals.

Could Polanco enjoy a similar breakthrough in his second full go-around at this level? While Marte’s 2015 numbers may be too high a benchmark, Polanco’s own production from a year ago leaves plenty of room for improvement, and any movement in the right direction would help the team.

Having only turned 24 in September, Polanco seems well-positioned to build upon last season’s middling campaign, and he did show some positive signs in the summer’s waning days. After a forgettable first half in which he hit just .237, he came roaring to life in August, putting up a .330/.380/.500 slash line over 26 games that month.

He came crashing back down to earth with a .224/.271/.336 line in September/October, though, perhaps signifying a young player running out of steam in his first complete big league experience. Those August numbers are quite encouraging for the future, however.

Next: Wainwright is Cards' X-Factor

In any case, Polanco has another opportunity to make his mark during the 2016 season. If he takes the requisite steps forward, not only will the Pirates’ chances improve this year, but he and Marte could give them a talented young pair of outfielders for years to come.

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