Pirates A to Z: Already an elite defender at 3B, Jared Triolo showed versatility by playing CF

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z: An alphabetical, player-by-player look at the 40-man roster, from outfielder Miguel Andujar to pitcher Bryse Wilson.

Player: Jared Triolo

Position: Third base/shortstop/center field

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Age: 24 (Feb. 8)

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 212 pounds

2022 MLB statistics: None

Contract: Not yet eligible for arbitration

Acquired: Selected in second round of 2019 MLB Draft

This past season: After being drafted out of the University of Houston, Triolo missed the entire 2020 season during the covid pandemic and spent time in the weight room to build strength.

During a strong season at High-A Greensboro in 2021, Triolo received rave reviews from manager Kieran Mattison about his Gold Glove ability at third base and called him “one of the smartest baserunners I’ve been around.”

“Jared Triolo plays at a high level at all facets of the game,” Mattison said. “He’s consistent. And he’s a dynamic player. He will definitely make a name for himself in this game. He’s already started, in my eyes.”

Triolo already had established a reputation as an elite defender by winning a minor league Gold Glove as a third baseman in 2021 with High-A Greensboro. He won the Bill Mazeroski Award as the Pirates’ minor league defender of the year for the second consecutive season.

A web ???? from Jared Triolo!

The No. 18 @Pirates prospect makes a tremendous diving play at short for the @AltoonaCurve. pic.twitter.com/EzcR2JjyFh

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 30, 2022

Triolo committed seven errors in 746 innings and led Eastern League third basemen with 15 double plays, tied for first with 165 assists and ranked second with 237 chances and a .970 fielding percentage.

“Defensively, he’s super good,” said Quinn Priester, the Pirates’ top pitching prospect per MLB Pipeline who spent most of the season at Altoona. “When he’s over there (at third), nothing’s getting by him.”

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. What a play with the glove by Jared Triolo. Saves a run from scoring with a diving stop and throw #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/37WqTMipn0

— Anthony Murphy (@__Murphy88) August 6, 2022

Then Triolo showed his versatility.

For the first time in his career, Triolo played center field. He started seven games there for Double-A Altoona while also playing 87 games at third base and 19 at shortstop.

“It’s a chance to get out of my comfort zone,” said Triolo, who had to adjust to the ball coming from a backwards view of the diamond. “I think baseball players, when they get out of college, get into the monotony of playing the same position. … I think being a utility guy gets a bad rap but them being able to throw a position at you at any time is a good thing. I think they always say I’m a ‘toolsy’ guy.”

His tools extend beyond having a great glove.

Triolo batted .282/.376/.419 with 21 doubles, five triples, nine home runs and 39 RBIs in 112 games for the Curve. He also solidified his reputation for having great instincts on the basepaths, with 24 stolen bases after going for 25 steals in 2021.

“Instincts helps a lot, just getting a good jump and reads,” Triolo said. “People see me as a big guy and don’t think I’m very fast, but I like to tell people I have that basball speed.”

What the Pirates want to see is more power.

Solid as his offensive numbers were, Triolo dealt with timing issues at the plate and had to adjust to the colder temperatures in Altoona early in the season. He batted .247 in both May and June before finishing strong.

Triolo, who has said his mantra is to backspin balls to the gap, credited conversations with his coaches and a visit from minor league hitting coordinators. He slashed .297/.393/.440 with five doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs in July, then went .333/.398/.644 with seven doubles, four triples, four homers and nine RBIs in August, including three first-inning leadoff homers in a nine-day span.

For the third time in the last nine days, @JaredTriolo has led off the first inning with a solo home run! pic.twitter.com/6xurEvugEr

— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) August 18, 2022

“It was the first time I was open to hearing what they had to say,” Triolo said. “They were just talking about my power numbers being down at the beginning of the season, about how to get more exit velo, be ready early in the counts. They gave me mental cues I would think about when I wanted to do some more damage.”

The final two months of the season solidified Triolo’s future with the Pirates. He was added to the 40-man roster on Nov. 15 to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, likely making him one step away from making it to the major leagues next season.

“Jared Triolo doesn’t get talked about enough,” Priester said. “He can do so much for a team. He’s such a savvy player, runs the bases extremely well and is super intuitive. I mean, shoot, he can hit for average and he knows when to take a shot. I love watching hitters who take huge 2-0 or 3-1 swings because why wouldn’t you? Who cares if you swing over a slider when it’s still 2-1 and the pitcher still has to come to you. Jared is hitting doubles, triples, homers – he’s such a fun player to watch.”

In a special edition of Inside Pirates Baseball here on @ATTSportsNetPIT. We introduce you to the guys on the farm who are forcing attention on themselves with their play. IPB: Rising Prospects, debuts tonight after @Pirates postgame. One of those guys is 3B Jared Triolo. pic.twitter.com/eP7ga32UCA

— AT&T SportsNet™ PIT (@ATTSportsNetPIT) April 27, 2022

The future: As elite as he is defensively, it makes sense that the Pirates wanted to try Triolo at other positions after they locked up third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to an eight-year, $70 million contract.

“For me personally, it’s definitely my best position,” Triolo said of playing third base. “I’m nost comfortable there. I know I can play it at a high level.”

Triolo works out with Hayes, the 2021 Fielding Bible Award winner and a 2022 Gold Glove finalist, in the offseason and is impressed by how methodical he is about his preparation, strength training and stretching.

With Hayes potentially blocking his path to the majors, Triolo is open-minded about playing other positions. In addition to shortstop and center field, he also played 15 games at right field in college.

Triolo has heard comparisons in his plate approach to Kris Bryant, a four-time All-Star who was 2015 NL rookie of the year and 2016 NL MVP, and he’s willing to show similar versatility by playing other positions.

“I will have enough gloves for each position,” Triolo said. “I’ll have a full bag, for sure.”

First base could be next, though the Pirates haven’t been tempted to move Triolo to the opposite corner just yet now that they have traded for Ji-Man Choi and Connor Joe and signed Carlos Santana.

“‘Tri’ can do a lot of things defensively on the field,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said. “He’s been a third baseman traditionally, but we think he can play short (and) he’s played some center. I think there’s some more defensive options with Triolo. We’d probably want to keep him in spots on the field that are a little higher up the defensive spectrum.”

Triolo appears slated to start next season at Triple-A Indianapolis, and it will be his bat that determines whether he can make the jump to the majors. Triolo fared well in 65 games hitting leadoff (.311) and in the six-hole (.368) last season but struggled when placed in the middle of the order. The Pirates see more power potential and hope it shows against higher-caliber pitching.

“I think he’s already shown us that he’s a really talented defensive player that adapts pretty quickly to different defensive spots,” Cherington said. “I think probably what’s going to give him the best chance to contribute at the major-league level sooner rather than later is probably more the offense than it is the defense.”