Jared Triolo wears Wilson gloves, so he doesn’t get to enjoy one of the best perks of winning his first Gold Glove: The gold Rawlings patch. Instead, Triolo has a small, gold baseball diamond on his glove.
“Start stacking them. That would be the goal,” Triolo said, noting that San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman has a handful on his Wilson glove. “No disappointment whatsoever. Winning a Gold Glove is not a disappointment. I think that’s cool what Wilson does.”
Wilson probably feels the same about Triolo, who played all four infield positions and even made a cameo — along with a spectacular catch — in right field last season for the Pittsburgh Pirates on his way to winning the NL Gold Glove as a utility player.
Triolo was trying to keep the news a secret before the award was announced, so he didn’t tell Pirates second baseman Nick Gonzales while on a bachelor weekend trip last fall. Gonzales told SportsNet Pittsburgh he was stunned to learn that Triolo won the Gold Glove.
“I was ecstatic. I was actually with him when he won — and he didn’t tell me,” Gonzales said. “So then I’m like, ‘Dude, when are you going to find out if you win the Gold Glove?’ And he’s kind of just staring at me really awkward. I was like, ‘Bro, why are you being weird?’ Someone else was like, ‘Dude, he won it.’ I was like, ‘Bro, why don’t you tell me things? You can tell me.’ I was really excited for him.”
Attending the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards in November was the real treat for Triolo. He was seated next to Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who won the AL Platinum Glove, and got to rub elbows and have conversations with some of the game’s all-time greats.
“I went to New York and there’s every baseball player you watched as a kid or your dad watched as a kid,” Triolo said. “It’s really cool to feel like you’re part of that. When you come back for a new season, you have a standard to uphold now.”
The Pirates could have three Gold Glove winners in their infield at one time this season, with Triolo a possible starter at first base, Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2020) at shortstop and Ke’Bryan Hayes (2023) at third base.
“It’s sick,” Triolo said. “Somebody asked me the other day how playing first was. You’re looking at two Gold Glovers and Adam Frazier, who’s a really good player (and two-time NL Gold Glove finalist). Everything is coming at the chest. They make it a lot easier. You look around at Ke’ and IKF and they uphold it. It’s my turn to uphold it, as well.”
Triolo has bounced around the infield in making a start at each position in nine Grapefruit League games. He views his versatility as a valuable tool, one that allows Triolo to find his way into the lineup on a regular basis. He made 60 starts at third base, 42 at second base, eight at shortstop and four at first base last season but could see more time at first early with Spencer Horwitz out after undergoing right wrist surgery.
“I think it’s cool,” Triolo said. “It gets me on the field during spring training more. It shows that I’m available. I take a lot of pride in it.”
Triolo also takes pride in his offense, which is why he’s looking to rebound from his struggles of last season. He slashed .216/.296/.315 with 10 doubles, nine home runs and 46 RBIs in 125 games, with a 26.5% strikeout rate. He lost his starting job at second base to Gonzales, but filled in for Hayes at third for much of the final six weeks.
The 27-year-old Triolo hopes to return to his September 2023 form, when he batted .350/.458/.567 in 18 games. After a slow start this spring, he went 3 for 3 with a triple and two runs scored Saturday at Atlanta to increase his batting average to .238 (5 for 21).
“I’m excited. A new season, fresh start, everything is at zero now. It’s go time,” Triolo said. “I didn’t hit at all like I wanted to, so it was definitely a focus (of the offseason) — just getting back to what I know, causing contact and driving balls into the gaps.”
And upholding the Gold standard in the field, no matter which position he’s playing.
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