Freeze Frame: After 13 years, Maggi embraces 'crazy' big-league entry

In the first game after Bryan Reynolds signed his franchise record-setting contract, the biggest ovation at PNC Park Wednesday night went to a newcomer.

With the eventual 8-1 victory over the Dodgers more or less ensured by the bottom of the eighth, journeyman minor-leaguer Drew Maggi finally got his at-bat he had spent 13 years and 1,154 games working toward.

What could make it better? How about 12,152 at PNC Park chanting "Maggi, Maggi," with home plate umpire Jeff Nelson giving him a little more time to soak in the moment by dusting off the plate?

"It felt like a packed house when I came up," Maggi said after the game, still visibly gobsmacked about what had transpired. "It was crazy. I didn't know what to do, man. It was just great."

With the exception of the return of Andrew McCutchen and the eventual first swing of some top prospects at some point down the road, Maggi's first at-bat may be the most anticipated here all year. The 33-year-old infielder endeared himself playing for Class AAA Indianapolis last season and with a strong spring training. When he didn't make the team, he was instead optioned to Class AA Altoona to help be a mentor for that young group.

But he got his surprise call-up, and his chance at a major-league at-bat.

It started with bench coach Don Kelly in the seventh inning. The cleaned-up version, as Shelton put it, was, "don't even look at me." But then it was Mike Rabelo and Andy Haines, the players, and even Shelton's wife, who texted, "when's the Italian kid going to play?"

When Jason Delay obliged with a two-run knock to put the Pirates ahead comfortably and Dauri Moretta got through the eighth, the conversation began to change. Maggi would bat for McCutchen, the designated hitter that night, in the home half of the inning.

"I don’t think Cutch was taking his sweatshirt off," Shelton said. "And I think if I wouldn’t have told Cutch, Cutch probably would have told me."

Maggi got to bat, with his parents and three brothers watching from the stands. He had cleaned his glasses, by his estimation, 45 times by this point.

He was going up to bat. And he was swinging at the first pitch, no matter what.

"I mean, I would have regretted it, but I would have gotten a lot of heat from a lot of different people over years and years," Maggi said. "Because [when] you talk about that first at-bat and it's, 'Oh, I'm swinging first pitch.' I've been telling everyone that for a long time like, 'Head's coming out. I don't care where it is, I'm swinging.' "

He made solid contact on Alex Vesia's fastball up, and for a brief moment, there was a bit of a gasp as the ball was pulled to left. Had it straighten out, it would have been a clean hit. Instead, it landed well into the seats.

"I knew it was foul right away, but I was happy with the result," Maggi said. "I was just like, 'I'm going.' I was a little bit early but I was going to be ready to hit and I was that close."

How do you follow a first-pitch foul? Well, by not getting set in time. Pitch clock violation. Strike two.

Maggi jokingly gave a "no comment" on the call. See, he's already answering like a big-leaguer!

After another foul and a ball up, Maggi chased a slider in the dirt for strike three and jogged down to first to complete the strikeout. It didn't matter. He's forever a big-leaguer, unquestionably.

It wasn't clear coming into the day if Maggi would have this moment. He was called up Sunday to fill in while Reynolds was on the bereavement list. After not getting into a game Sunday or Tuesday, it looked like this might be a repeat of what happened to Maggi in 2021, when he was called up to the majors with the Twins but was optioned before making his debut.

However, the Pirates determined that Canaan Smith-Njigba would benefit from more regular at-bats in the minors and he was optioned instead. That bought Maggi at least one more game, and his chance to cement himself as more than a phantom major-leaguer.

"I felt like this was the moment," Maggi said. "Everything kind of felt right. This was the right situation, being back in Pittsburgh and with how everything was going. There’s a slight bit of [doubt], because you never know in this game and you never know in life. But, it's over now. I got the first one.

"I've never been more happy for a strikeout in my life."

So was it worth the 13-year journey?

"One hundred percent, because I love baseball," Maggi answered. "I was grinding for 13 years, but I was doing what I loved. Getting here, my name's in history. I put on a big-league uniform. I shared the field with the world's greatest. I can finally sleep at night, hopefully."