Cruz, co. still mashing early
CLEARWATER, Fla. — It’s only spring training, but ... well, in 10 days it will be the regular season.
What might it mean if the Pirates can somehow replicate portions of what we saw during their 11-2 shellacking of the Phillies on Monday at BayCare Ballpark?
Certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing. Consider just some of what occurred:
• Rowdy Tellez and Oneil Cruz each hit three- run home runs in the third inning. Tellez blasted his 418 feet at 111.8 mph, Cruz 419 at 111.1. Those are missiles.
Furthermore, it extended the Pirates’ MLB-best best homer binge this spring to 45, the most since they hit 46 in 2019 and two shy of the club record of 47 reached in both 2018 and ’06.
It’s only spring, but ...
“If you look at the small picture of just putting together good at-bats, I think that’s where we need to look,” Tellez said. “You’ll feel good about that, no matter who is pitching.”
• It’s probably too soon to toss Cruz into discussions for postseason awards such as Comeback Player of the Year or National League MVP. But at the same time, the ankle looks good, no?
Everything about what Cruz has done this spring has been impressive. On Monday, he amazingly reached another level.
The 6- foot- 7 shortstop smoked a 110.9 mph single to right field in the first inning, clobbered the three-run homer in the third and added another bomb — a cheapie by his lofty standards — in the fifth inning.
It came on a 1-2 curveball low and inside, a spot Cruz loves the ball. He hit it 404 feet at 106.4 mph out to rightcenter field for his seventh of the spring.
That tied Baltimore’s Kyle Stowers for the MLB lead. It also gave Cruz 14 RBIs, two shy of Wyatt Langford of the Texas Rangers.
Cruz also has 32 total bases, one fewer than Langford, and he leads everyone with 13 runs scored. It’s been an impressive and important tour de force for Cruz, who’s inarguably the most important piece of this offense.
“I don’t have the vocabulary to describe him,” Tellez said. “It’s impressive. ... He’s gonna be a generational player.”
It’s only spring, but ... what if Tellez is right?
• Ke’Bryan Hayes also contributed a pair of singles, including a 107.3 mph laser up the middle in the first inning. The Pirates third baseman has picked up where he left off last season, and it’s been impressive. Pitchers beware the way Hayes has been peppering the middle of the diamond.
This spring, Hayes has hit .436 with a 1.147 OPS ... while, of course, continuing to play Gold Glove defense.
• Although they didn’t inflict as much damage Monday, Henry Davis and Jack Suwinski have also been dominant this spring, furthering the case that this offense might actually be good.
It’s only spring, but … the Pirates have seen a bunch of stuff that simultaneously encouraging and repeatable during the regular season.
On the mound
The offense has been impressive, but it’s also easy to like what Martin Perez has done this spring. A 32-yearold signed this offseason for $8 million, Perez has effectively mixed a sinker, cutter, changeup and curveball and worked five innings against the Phillies.
Perez allowed a pair of unearned runs, struck out eight and threw 55 of his 89 pitches for strikes, lowering his spring ERA to 0.75.
It’s certainly not his calling card, but Perez used his four-pitch mix to rack up 11 whiffs and 16 called strikes.
“I’ve been trying to locate my pitches more,” Perez said. “I’m not trying to overthrow because when you overthrow, you put your body in a different position. Just trying to stay on top always. Always trying to throw first-pitch strikes. I think I threw good pitches.”
At the plate
It certainly looks like Tellez is past the back tightness that knocked him out of the lineup the past two days. His homer in the third inning was smoked — and came on maybe the best swing we’ve seen from Tellez this spring.
Tellez sat on a 1- 0 changeup that was left over the middle of the plate and didn’t miss.
“It felt good, but I’m just worried about making sure I can repeat my swing,” Tellez said. “It’s just hard work and working with hitting coaches and getting it squared away.”
Led by Cruz, the Pirates have taken over the Grapefruit League leaderboard. Hayes and Suwinski are tied for fourth place with 27 total bases, while Davis isn’t far behind with 25.
In the field
Jared Triolo trains with Hayes in the offseason and defends a little like him, too. Smooth as can be.
Although he made an error two batters later by skipping a throw that Tellez could not handle, Triolo made one of the best defensive plays of spring to rob Trea Turner. Bouncer on the shortstop second of second, Triolo dove and threw the speedy Turner out from one knee.
He wasn’t alone in this one, either. Entering camp needing to prove himself as a defender, Davis has done every bit of that. He’s looked like a major league catcher. With Perez ahead 0-2 to Edmundo Sosa in the fourth inning, Davis looked like a very good one when he blocked a 55-foot curveball from the left-hander.
Up next
The Pirates are off Tuesday before Marco Gonzales gets the ball against the Yankees in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday night.