For Pirates rookie outfielder Cal Mitchell, 1st road trip to San Diego a happy homecoming

Cal Mitchell had his first pinch-me moment in the third inning of his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates, when he caught Charlie Blackmon’s fly ball to right field and threw it back into the infield.

“It was like, ‘OK, I got to have my first touch,’ ” Mitchell said. “I touched the ball, and it was real.”

Mitchell got his first major-league hit, an RBI single to score Diego Castillo, in Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies at PNC Park. The next day, he scored his first run and got his first extra-base hit, an RBI double to score Jack Suwinski in the 10-5 win over the Rockies.

But Mitchell couldn’t wait for the chance to return to his hometown and play against the San Diego Padres on Friday night at Petco Park, adding that he couldn’t have drawn it up any better.

“It’s the best thing ever, you know?” Mitchell said. “Debuting was great. Loved every minute of it, but I really love the feeling of knowing that my parents are going to get to watch me play at Petco Park. We’ve been watching games and watching players at Petco since I was a little kid. We went all the time, anytime we could. Now it’s full circle, all the way back, and I think it’s pretty special my parents get to be there for that.”

Even before his MLB debut, Pirates rookie outfielder Cal Mitchell was excited about the prospect of returning to his hometown of San Diego to play the Padres at Petco Park this weekend. pic.twitter.com/Ijnar3UuEu

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) May 27, 2022

That the trip to San Diego was next on the schedule is the reason Ryan and Lisa Mitchell didn’t travel to Pittsburgh to see Cal’s debut. His call-up to the majors came quick, when the Pirates placed designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. Mitchell’s parents knew they would watch him in person soon enough.

Mitchell rounded up tickets for his immediate family, but the Rancho Bernardo High School graduate — he was drafted in the second round (No. 50) by the Pirates in 2017 and signed for $1.4 million — is expecting to have many more friends and family there to cheer him.

“Any and everybody that has helped me, I’d love for them to be there,” Mitchell said. “It will be a wild experience, but I’m ready for it.”

Mitchell was left off the 40-man roster last fall but slashed .306/.362/.500 with nine doubles, five home runs and 26 RBIs in 34 games at Triple-A Indianapolis this season, and he also stole six bases. After batting Mitchell eighth in his debut, Pirates manager Derek Shelton didn’t hesitate to move him up to the two-hole in his second game. Mitchell answered by going 2 for 5 with a single, the RBI double and a run scored in Wednesday’s win.

“Honestly, we hadn’t been scoring runs so why not mix it up?” Shelton said. “I thought Cal had good at-bats. He’s been having good at-bats in Indy, just giving us a little bit of a different look, throwing Bryan (Reynolds) in the (leadoff spot) and Cal in the two, trying to mix it up a little bit to see if we could shake it up, and our guys responded to it.”

For Mitchell, it was a bonus that he played the corner outfield spot opposite Jack Suwinski, his roommate last season with Double-A Altoona after being acquired from the Padres in the Adam Frazier trade last July. Suwinski was thrilled to see Mitchell get off to a hot start.

“He’s a great player,” Suwinski said. “After being traded, I got to know him pretty quickly, coming right into their team. I love having him in the outfield with me. I love playing with him. He plays hard. I think he’s one of the best hitters I’ve ever played with. He’s a great addition to the lineup and someone who I definitely want to play with for a while.”

Where Suwinski was leading NL rookies with five home runs after his three-run shot against the Rockies on Wednesday afternoon, Mitchell is still seeking his first big-league homer.

Mitchell is familiar with putting the ball over the fence at Petco Park. He finished runner-up to Hunter Greene — the Cincinnati Reds right-hander who tossed a combined no-hitter against the Pirates on May 15 — at the Perfect Game All-American Classic Home Run Derby in 2016.

Homering in his hometown would be another pinch-me moment for Mitchell, who couldn’t wipe the smile off his face when reflecting on how his major-league career has started.

“Absolutely. That’s what I worked towards,” Mitchell said. “I’m happy that I’m able to get the chance and come up and do some cool stuff in the first couple games.”