Colin Moran left Wrigley Field before Clint Hurdle could tell him the news. It wasn't until the rookie third baseman arrived the following morning that he discovered where he would be hitting in the Pirates' lineup that afternoon and for the foreseeable future.
Moran, acquired from the Astros as part of the Gerrit Cole trade, was elevated from seventh to cleanup. Josh Bell had been moved down in the order, and Hurdle was in search of another reliable, disciplined hitter capable of driving in runs for a scuffling offense.
Moran went 0 for 4 against the Cubs that afternoon, however, he's since powerfully illustrated some of the traits needed to occupy that spot in the order.
"Discipline,” Hurdle said of Moran. “I’m asking a rookie to bat cleanup; I’m aware of that. ... Awareness, his application. I didn’t think he’d be a guy that would be overly fazed by the position or the number. … He’s really been quite steadfast with his approach wherever he’s hit in the lineup.”
Moran has batted .250 with a .853 OPS, two home runs, three RBIs and five strikeouts to eight walks in eight games as the Pirates' cleanup hitter. He's reached safely in each of his last 18 starts, going 19 for 62 with eight walks. Among National League rookies, Moran ranks second in batting average (.272), second in on-base percentage (.356), third in RBIs (28) and third in total bases (87).
Pitchers began attacking him differently after the first few weeks of the season, but his swing and approach have not changed. Neither has his demeanor, at least on the field. He rarely shows emotion during a game, even after success or failure. Yet, he has what Hurdle described as a "burning intensity" behind the scenes.
So much so it was a detriment not long ago. Moran, drafted sixth overall by the Marlins in 2013, made his major-league debut with the Astros in May 2016, only to go 0 for 23 with eight strikeouts before being sent back to Triple-A Fresno. Moran, discouraged and in search of answers, would routinely scour the internet to watch video of some of the best left-handed hitters in the majors, including Daniel Murphy, Robinson Cano and Bryce Harper.
Moran was looking at every subtle movement, searching for any potential answer to what ailed him at the plate. He'd watch video one night, try an adjustment in the cage the following day and ultimately, failed. Over and over again. The process wore on Moran.
"Once I had a little bit of adversity, I said, ‘Man, I have to change my swing, I need to make adjustments,'" Moran said. "I’d tried to emulate hitters. That can work, but you need to know what makes you successful and your foundation. That was the learning experience. I need to stick to one approach, I need to know what I’m doing, have a foundation and make little adjustments here and there."
The problem wasn't limited to his swing, either. He batted in nearly every spot in Fresno's lineup, including cleanup, and he tried to change his approach every time he was moved that season. Moran felt the pressure, and he couldn't escape it.
He didn't return to the major leagues in 2016. Instead, he finished the Triple-A season with a .259/.329/.368 slash line and 10 home runs with 69 RBIs in 117 games. He had not posted an isolated power of better than .153 in any of his first four pro seasons and his career high for home runs was 10. Also, his ground-ball percentage was a career-worst 24.3 percent in 2016.
So, Moran worked with Jeff Albert, the Astros' hitting coordinator, the following offseason to simplify his swing. He stopped using a leg kick and started resting the bat on his shoulder. The adjustment limited his movement and allowed him to keep a simple approach. It led to a career-high 18 home runs at Triple-A in 2017, and he hasn't changed much since.
It hasn't been easy, though.
"I’ve taken my worry out of my swing," Moran said. "There’s still times where you get into a rut and you try to tweak it, but for the most part I trust my routine. I know my swing will be there every night consistently, so it’s about simplifying it, competing against the pitcher and getting a good pitch to hit."
He's had every reasons to make changes, too. When Hurdle pulled Moran into his office at Wrigley Field to deliver the news, Moran was mired in a 2-for-14 slump, and he finished May with seven hits in 30 at-bats. Moran responded with a seven-game hitting streak. Also, he's walked 25 times with 39 strikeouts, posting a 115 OPS+ this season.
His weighted on-base average — an important catch-all statistic that attempts to credit the hitter with value for each outcome rather than treating all hits equal — ranks third among qualified Pirates, behind Francisco Cervelli and Starling Marte. He's also averaged 3.71 pitches per plate appearance.
Moran had a .866 OPS in 31 starts while batting seventh, yet he didn't hesitate when asked to move up three spots, and he did so equipped with lessons learned from a difficult season two years ago.
"I just kind of learned that no matter where you’re at it doesn’t matter," he said. "You come to the park every day the same person, try to work on your game and go play a game, no matter what situation you’re put in. You try to compete against the guy on the mound. That’s it."