With spring training nearing end, outfield competition still heating up

BRADENTON, Fla. -- This was marketed as a spring of competition for the Pirates, and while the second base competition has yet to produce a front runner and some bullpen decisions may come down to pitcher health, there's a legitimate battle for outfield playing time.

Sure, there were some spots already more or less penciled in. Bryan Reynolds is starting, and it would be pretty shocking if Jack Suwinski doesn't make the opening day team, even if he has struggled with the sun on defense this year. Andrew McCutchen is going to split time his time between the outfield and designated hitter. Even with those guys pencilled in, there's still uncertainty with how the final roster could look. Is it just going to be utility players who can play the outfield, like Connor Joe and Mark Mathias, or will the Pirates have another traditional outfielder?

If they opt for the latter, they have several young outfielders making a good case.

That includes Canaan Smith-Njigba, who homered again on Friday in the Pirates' 6-2 win over the Rays at LECOM Park.

That was his second home run of the spring -- well, third if you're willing to count the one he hit earlier but had taken back when some uncertainty in the outfield led to him hustling thinking he had an extra-base hit and inadvertently passing a runner on the basepaths.

“That’s what people want me to see, see me put the ball in the air and for it to go over the fence," Smith-Njigba said afterwards. "I’m glad that I’m showcasing that and the people who wanted to see it, see it. So I’m just happy I’m putting good at-bats together, hitting the ball hard and putting us in a position so the next guys behind me can have good at-bats as well. Put some runs on the board and win balls games.”

Who are those people he's referring to? Well, the ones that have doubted his game power. It's something I touched on in a pre-spring training Mound Visit. Last year, few minor-leaguers hit the ball harder than Smith-Njigba. It just didn't lead to a lot of homers.

"When I make contact and I put the barrel on the ball, I know it's going to come off hot," he told me before the game. "That's what I can control, and I'm going to continue doing that."

Hey, it wasn't just me who pointed it out, either.

"Him impacting the baseball is something we’ve challenged him on, and I think we’ve seen that this spring," Derek Shelton said.

Smith-Njigba has been tagging the ball. So has Travis Swaggerty, who is hitting .391 with a 1.069 OPS thus far. Cal Mitchell hasn't gotten off to as fast of a start, but he showed upside in the second half of last year.

But in a competition like this, a fast start can make or break getting that opening day job. Swaggerty admits he usually needs 50 or 100 at-bats to get his timing down, but he knew he couldn't get off to a slow start for him to reach his goal.

"I think that goes back to last year, getting sent down from the major leagues and not going back up," Swaggerty said. "That gave me more motivation for the offseason and then coming into spring training, I knew that I needed to be aggressive with everything that I do, but keep it controlled, so that I can keep the ball in my own court, you know? It's worked so far, so I'm just gonna keep doing that, or at least mentally think that way."

This is what the Pirates were hoping to breed in this competition. Have someone try to rise to the occasion and for the competition to bring out the best out of that group.

And it's a group that definitely needs to show some improvement. Even with Reynolds in the fold and Suwinski's encouraging rookie season last year, Pirate outfielders had a combined .687 OPS and finished last in the National League in RBI (175). They need to improve, and it's going to have to come from self-improvement.

Hence the competition, one that doesn't end as soon as the team breaks for Cincinnati later this month.

"It still is a competition," Shelton said. "There’s a lot of stuff going on there, but the fact that those guys continue to have good at-bats is really important."

It's still a competition with two guys really running away for a job that isn't guaranteed to be there opening day. But it's a long season. Even if they don't make the team now, there will be opportunities for them this year.

“We all want to see each other eat," Smith-Njigba said with a smile. "There’s room for everyone to eat.”

MORE FROM THE GAME

• Ji-Man Choi is on the board. He got a hanging slider in the first inning and turned on it for his first homer of the spring:

"Right now, my main focus is not getting a hit or not," Choi said via interpreter Daniel Park. "I’m focusing rather on my balance and also the speed off the bat."

That was Choi's first at-bat against his former club, and he made sure to take a peek into the Rays' dugout to see manager Kevin Cash while rounding the bases.

"I just wanted to know what’s on his mind," Choi said.

• Smith-Njigba also homered, as previously mentioned, and Mason Martin blasted one over the batter's eye in center in the eighth.

On the pitching end, minor-leaguer Osvaldo Bido made the spot start and tossed two scoreless innings, striking out four along the way. 

"He’s going to start in the minor leagues, and with us having the split [squad game] the other day, we needed a starter," Shelton said. "We thought it was a good opportunity to get him over here and to get him a start, and he looked good. He was effective. He was in the zone. He went right after people."

Bido set the pace for what would be a 15 strikeout day for Pirates pitchers, with every pitcher used getting at least one strikeout. 

• Checked in on Carlos Santana pregame. All is good after he slipped and was removed from the game Thursday night in Tampa with left knee soreness. He went through a full day of practice Friday.

Reliever prospect Tyler Samaniego exit Thursday's game with left shoulder discomfort. No update beyond that.

• Both Doc Emrick and Steve Blass were at LECOM Park Friday and spent time on the AT&T SportsNet broadcast. We were all spoiled today.

• Time of game: Two hours, 21 minutes. Praise be to the pitch clock.