The Pittsburgh Pirates provided Derek Shelton a peek into the future by filling their roster with rookies, allowing the manager to dream about the days when his team is teeming with young talent.
Where having a handful of veteran starters on the injured list had the potential to be devastating, the Pirates instead won six of nine games in a stretch that started in San Diego, involved a three-game sweep at Los Angeles and a home series win over Arizona. What would be a nightmare for most managers — at least four rookies played in all nine games, with six in the starting lineup at the Padres on May 29 — instead saw young players delivering game-changing hits.
This past week, Tucupita Marcano hit his first and second major league homers in back-to-back games and Rodolfo Castro came off the bench for four RBIs at the Dodgers. Jack Suwinski smashed a two-run home run for a walk-off win Saturday night and Cal Mitchell hit his first career homer during Sunday afternoon’s win over the Diamondbacks at PNC Park.
“Any time we get our kids in the lineup and they start to play, you start to see the glimpses of putting the whole thing together,” Shelton said of Pirates general manager Ben Cherington’s rebuilding plan. “There has been a process to it. I understand that maybe at times that process is frustrating to people, but Ben’s had a plan all along.”
That the process was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic that caused a shortened major league season and the cancellation of the minor league season in 2020 was disruptive to and delayed the development of some of the team’s top prospects. Now, they are making the majors in waves.
The Pirates have won nine of their past 16 games, despite a dozen being decided by two runs or fewer. They have homered in six consecutive games, with rookies providing five of the nine homers.
“You start to see the flashes of our acquisitions, then our development, then you supplement other people in with them,” Shelton said. “Yeah, you start to daydream a little bit. Really excited about this group of players.”
That excitement has spread throughout the Pirates clubhouse. The veteran players have had fun celebrating the milestone moments, from Roansy Contreras’ first win to Yerry De Los Santos’ first strikeout to Suwinski’s first walk-off to Marcano’s and Mitchell’s first home runs.
Ke’Bryan Hayes, the 25-year-old third baseman who signed a five-year, $85 million contract extension in April, smiled as he looked around a clubhouse filled with fresh faces he met in spring training. The feeling is familiar for Hayes, who debuted in September 2020, and a reminder that they are all still young and learning how to be major leaguers.
“We’ve got a lot of young energy going, guys trying to play fast. We’re just trying to play aggressive and win ballgames,” Hayes said. “I think it brings a sense of energy into the clubhouse whenever you have guys debuting. You really want them to get that first hit, first home run, first win while they’re up here.”
Those moments can be fleeting, as lefty Cam Alldred was designated for assignment shortly after his debut and the infielder Castro was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis Sunday after committing six errors in 21 games and failing to run out a pop fly that turned into a double play.
There is a sentiment in the organization that not only do the rookies belong in the majors but that they can play significant roles.
“They need to believe in themselves first that they’re going to do that, no matter what level they’re at,” Cherington said. “When they’re in the minor leagues, we want them to believe they can get called up at any day at any point and contribute to win.”
When the Pirates promoted their 2018 first-round pick, outfielder Travis Swaggerty, on Sunday he became the seventh rookie on the 26-man active roster. That number could fluctuate in coming weeks, when outfielder Ben Gamel, infielder Josh VanMeter, first baseman Yoshi Tsutsugo and shortstop Kevin Newman are ready to come off the IL.
Meantime, Shelton has found creative ways to mesh his remaining veterans with rookies and players acquired through trades and off the waiver wire to assemble a team that is 24-28 and seven games out of first place in the NL Central heading into Monday’s off day.
The excitement around the long-awaited youth movement is building, even as Pirates fans clamor for the front office to promote top prospect Oneil Cruz and slugging first baseman Mason Martin. Cherington was adamant that development remains a priority but indicated that more call-ups are coming this summer. That could come at the expense of veterans on one-year contracts, many of whom are expected to be moved by the trade deadline in late July. It will be a delicate balance for Shelton and his coaching staff to keep the veterans happy without risking it coming at the expense of the rookies.
“Ideally, you have really good trust in your teammates and you know guys really well. Our job is to create an environment where that doesn’t matter,” Cherington said. “If you’re here, you’ve got the resources, the support you need to go play your best and contribute. We continue to try to learn how to do that in the best possible way.”
Swaggerty provided a professional answer to that concern before he even made his major league debut. The talk that the kids are here to play — and stay — is one that could cause clubhouse rifts.
For now, the young Pirates are focused first and foremost on winning.
“That’s just noise to us,” Swaggerty said. “The best nine will play and we’ll go from there. We’re just trying to win. If it’s young guys, older guys, doesn’t matter. As long as we’re winning, doesn’t matter. There’s definitely something special brewing here, absolutely. So I’m super excited for the future and I can’t wait for it.”
