BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Pirates got back in the win column Thursday, beating the Braves, 6-1, in seven innings at LECOM Park.
The full ballpark experience started about an hour and a half before first pitch, though, when Oneil Cruz started taking batting practice. The universal top 100 prospect’s batting practices are almost always good for one or two towering home runs, including one that went over the concourse in right Thursday.
It’s a simple offensive approach.
“Hit it hard,” Cruz said, with a smile, through interpreter Mike Gonzalez. “Wherever it goes, just hit it hard.”
And Cruz does hit it very, very hard, with the 22-year-old already being tracked as posting exit velocities of at least 112 mph. That's the type of power a 6-foot-7, 215 frame can produce.
But guys that tall don’t play shortstop. In fact, there has never been a player that tall to ever appear at the position. Watching Cruz reach down for ground balls, one could see why. He can do it, but it’s not a fluid motion, and it leads itself to errors.
So when Cruz got to Pirate City, Ben Cherington and Derek Shelton approached him about getting reps in the outfield.
It’s gone from conversations to being put in practice the last two days. On Wednesday, Cruz played the last two innings in center, and Thursday he got the start at the same position. In that time, he only had one fielding opportunity: A routine pop up that he caught cleanly, followed by an effortless toss that hit the cutoff man roughly 150 feet away on one bounce. Shelton has noticed how Cruz is approaching the experiment outside of games, too.
“I watched him shag today in a competition [during warmups] with a couple other guys, and he looks good moving out there,” Shelton said.
From Shelton's vantage point, that friendly competition was to see who could get the best jumps while tracking down fly balls during batting practice. There may have been a little smack talk, too.
Growing up, center field was one of Cruz’s favorite positions to play, and he's reached out to Marcell Ozuna, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco for advice on how to play the outfield. But shortstop has been the goal. Cruz joked that he prayed he would stop growing so he could stay at the position. Instead, he grew about another six inches since originally signing with the Dodgers back in 2015.
To be clear, moving into the outfield in spring training doesn’t mean anything is permanent.
“They were very great with me during that conversation and just being clear that I’m still a shortstop in their eyes,” Cruz said. “However, because there are guys competing for the major league role, they still want to get me some at-bats and want to give me opportunity during this camp. So they’re going to be trying me out in the outfield, so I can get more at-bats and opportunity during camp.”
Cruz still sees himself as a shortstop. “No one is going to move me out of there," he said. The Pirates still see him as a potential shortstop.
But...
“We also know that players need to be exposed to other positions,” Cherington said of Cruz as camp began last month. “I don't know if many, or any players at the Major League level, didn't at least get some exposure to another position, some reps at another position as they get closer to the big leagues, and then often when they get to the big leagues. So we just want to make sure we cover that with Oneil and with every player here, really.”
While Cruz still could potentially be at short, he had already dipped his toes in the outfield. He took a few drills at the alternate site in Altoona, Pa. While he only played shortstop in games in winter ball, he got playing time in right field during workouts. So this is hardly his first look here. Nor will it be the last.
While the Pirates and Cruz still see him potentially play shortstop, a change may be necessary just because of the players the Pirates have. As Cruz alluded to, there is a shortstop competition going on in camp between Kevin Newman, Cole Tucker and Erik Gonzalez. The first two players are former first-round picks who could potentially be around for years to come. The Pirates’ first-rounder last year was middle infielder Nick Gonzales. The top-rated prospect Cherington has traded for in his time with the Pirates is shortstop Liover Peguero. The Pirates have options in the middle infield, both for now and the near future.
That change to the outfield could get Cruz to the majors a little sooner, too.
While Cruz has not played a game in class AAA yet, he is already on the roster and spent last season in Altoona. He’s expected to get promoted to the majors this year.
“I don't think I'm near or far,” Cruz said. “This is on the Pirates, whenever they feel I’m ready. When they feel I’m ready, trust me, I’ll be ready.”
MORE FROM THE GAME
• Before the interview with Cruz began Thursday, Gonzalez stated that neither Cruz nor the Pirates’ front office were ready for him to talk about the accident that killed three people on a motorcycle in the Dominican Republic last September.
Cruz did answer when asked if he was worried about the future of his career at the time of the accident. His response, through Gonzalez:
“In the beginning, I was very fearful of not being able to continue to play the game that I love and to reach the dream that I've always had, which is reaching the big leagues. However, when things became clearer later and and everything was solved, I was able to reach that hope again that I'll be able to play. Now I have peace.”
While there were reports out of the Dominican that Cruz was drunk at the time, the police did not administer a breathalyzer test and he was not charged with driving while intoxicated. The Pirates organization stated that alcohol was not involved in the crash, and that it was a tragic accident.
• Starter Tyler Anderson was the first Pirates pitcher to throw two innings this spring, and his 43 pitches were by far the most so far.
"The plan was, unless something crazy happened, was to try to go for two,” Anderson said. “I think it said one or two on there, but I threw a pretty extended two inning live last time, so I just said if I can, I'd like to go do the two.”
It was a good two innings, with the fastball moving around the zone and getting some whiffs with his changeup. While he gave up three hits and a run, he struck out three. He also got what was effectively five outs in the second, after Bryan Reynolds dropped a pop fly and Newman booted a grounder.
“He was great,” Shelton said. “He threw strikes. We lost the ball in the sun. We didn’t catch another ball that extended his pitch count and innings out, but he was all over the plate… Really good first impression.”
• More good, early pitching from the Pirates Thursday. Chasen Shreve pitched a quick, scoreless frame. David Bednar struck out the side on 15 pitches, getting one on each of his three pitches. Sam Howard walked two and Clay Holmes gave up two hits, but put up zeroes.
And Kyle Crick’s velocity tracked up a little bit, sitting consistently at 91-92 mph and maxing out at 92.6 mph. He only matched that velocity once last year. There’s a long way to go, but it looks like his fastball velo is returning closer to normal, like he said it would over spring.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes singled to right, tripled to right and was robbed by a diving catch on a 105.8 mph line drive to right.
He already looks locked in for the season.
As does Newman, who went 2-for-2, with singles to both gaps, and a walk. From my vantage point, it looks like he’s putting himself in a better position to hit while in the box. It’s very reminiscent of 2019 Newman so far.
Not to fall too far behind in the shortstop competition, Gonzalez hit an opposite field, two-run homer in the fourth. Gregory Polanco added two runs on a double in the fifth.
• Catcher Joe Hudson went deep on his first swing of the spring, taking one out to right-center. He’s someone who could potentially be in the mix to head to the alternate site or be depth in Indianapolis this season.
After the game I asked Hudson if there were any pitchers who really stood out to him in camp so far.
His instantaneous response: Clay Holmes.
“That’s some powerful, turbo sink on that fastball, running it there in the upper 90s,” Hudson said. “Not to mention he’s got some good spin, too. So he can put some hitters away when he had to. That’s some special stuff right there.”
It’s worth noting that Hudson had just caught Holmes in the seventh, but it was a nice endorsement.
Hudson also mentioned Mitch Keller, Blake Cederlind -- “Throwing 99, 100 with sink and movement. You just don’t see that often, right?” -- and Shreve.
• In case you missed it, the Pirates and PNC Bank announced a 10-year extension to the naming rights to PNC Park.
• Director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk met with the media before the game. Some notes:
Austin Davis (left elbow sprain) has been playing catch for “three to four” days and is responding well to the initials workloads. José Soriano (Tommy John surgery) has started his side progressions and is progressing well. Both pitchers are on the 60-day injured list.
Jared Oliva (back tightness) has resumed baseball activities, as has Adam Frazier (right groin tightness). The Pirates believe Cole Tucker’s left thumb contusion he experienced Wednesday is a minor injury. Anthony Alford (elbow) is scheduled to throw the bases Friday. He started throwing from 150 feet Monday.
• The Pirates are traveling to Clearwater, Fla. Friday to take on the Phillies.
Chad Kuhl will make his second start of the spring, followed by Wil Crowe, Edgar Santana, Cederlind, Braeden Ogle, Yerry De Los Santos and Sean Poppen. First pitch is 1:05 p.m.
