'He's got some wheels': Stolen base highlights monster month for Pirates slugger Rowdy Tellez

The sight of Rowdy Tellez stealing second base uncontested Tuesday in the first inning against Cincinnati Reds starter Hunter Greene had the Pittsburgh Pirates making wisecracks in the dugout at Great American Ball Park.

It was the first time since Sept. 8, 2022 — and only the fourth time in his seven-year major-league career — that the 6-foot-4, 270-pound first baseman swiped a bag.

“He’s got some wheels on him, that’s for sure,” Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds deadpanned.

Starting pitcher Mitch Keller said catcher Yasmani Grandal joked, “If Rowdy can do it, then I’m going to go.”

And Pirates manager Derek Shelton remarked on the SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame show, “I don’t think I had that going into the game.”

????ROWDY TELLEZ STEAL???? https://t.co/9xvvqLjaGX pic.twitter.com/5vG66IboH4

— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) June 25, 2024

To reinforce the power of Xander, Rowdy stole a base last night with him in attendance. https://t.co/K1oUFnQQNM

— Patrick Kurish (@PKurish) June 26, 2024

Tellez has gone from being a lightning rod to light on his feet in the matter of a month, thanks to a tremendous turnaround at the plate that saw him boost his batting average by 57 points in 18 games. After going 2 for 4 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday’s 9-5 win over the Reds, Tellez went 2 for 4 with a 422-foot opposite-field solo home run in Wednesday’s 6-1 win for his seventh multi-hit game in June. Tellez now has a .362/.413/.552 slash line with five doubles, two homers and 12 RBIs this month.

By comparison, Reynolds is slashing .351/.408/.638 in June amid an MLB-best 23-game hitting streak.

“I always say I’m one good week away from having a good season right now,” said Tellez, now batting .234. “We talk about the things that got me going, and it’s a couple little hits here and there the last three weeks. Sometimes, that’s all you need — something to fall, to go your way.”

Tellez bore the brunt of fan frustration for his poor start, especially after criticizing the PNC Park crowd for booing when two-time All-Star closer David Bednar allowed four runs in the ninth inning of a blown save in a 5-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers on April 9.

The boos were then directed at Tellez before and after every at-bat — even with the bases loaded — as he finished May with a .177 batting average. As Tellez reflects on his scuffles, he believes he might have been trying too hard to live up to his reputation as a left-handed power bat who hit 35 homers for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022. He started swinging for the 21-foot Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park.

“Yes, it’s inviting, but it can mess with you trying to go deep every time,” Tellez said. “Subconsciously, that may be something that got me early in the season. … Trying to pull the ball is what got me into trouble early in the year. And not being confident in my ability to be a good hitter. We’re just focused on being a good hitter, putting the ball in play with some hard contact and finding the barrel as often as I can.”

After tinkering with everything from his stance to his swing, Tellez decided to go back to what he does best. He focused on staying inside the ball, making hard contact and trying to drive it to the bullpen. That led to an embarrassing moment for Tellez against the Reds on June 19, when he stopped and admired a 403-foot blast before it hit the top of the wall in center and had him scrambling to sprint for a slide into second for a double.

Tellez went opposite-field twice Wednesday against the Reds, hitting a leadoff single to left in the second inning and finishing off a full-count cutter by blasting a 422-foot solo homer over the left-field wall in the fourth.

“Just having a middle-of-the-order bat that’s able to drive in runs, I think we see the confidence continuing to come back,” Shelton said. “He just has good at-bats. The big thing now is he’s starting to use the whole side of the field. Once he started to get in a little bit of a downturn, it was like he was trying to do too much. The home run to left, the base hit to left, those things are important.”

Tellez got back on track in the third game of a series in Toronto, going 3 for 4 with four RBIs and a walk in a 5-4 loss. The turning point for Tellez came in a 4-0 win over the Minnesota Twins on June 8, when he hit a 403-foot bomb to center for his first home run since March 31. He received a roaring ovation from a home crowd that chanted his first name and demanded a curtain call.

“What the fan base was doing was warranted,” said Tellez, who signed a one-year, $3.2 million contract in December. “I wasn’t playing good. I can understand every time I’d come to the plate — you’re a free agent, and you’re not playing well in front of a fan base that wants to win. I got it. That’s part of being a pro. You have to deal with it.”

Tellez thanked the fan base for sticking with him through his struggles and embracing him when they finally ended, which made the broad-shouldered slugger emotional.

“That was a big mindset change,” Tellez said, “but having them behind me was pretty special.”