Pirates rookie Jared Triolo posting eye-popping statistics since switching to a new stance

In a season of firsts, Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Jared Triolo has made one seamless transition after another, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that his first time batting first in the order went just as smooth.

Triolo made another positive impression by going 2 for 3 and reaching base four times from the leadoff spot in the Pirates’ 7-6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. He drew a leadoff walk against Phillies lefty Ranger Suarez and scored the first run as the Pirates took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, then sandwiched a pair of singles around another walk.

Triolo can credit a new stance for some startling statistics. Since concentrating on standing more upright, Triolo is 15 for 28 with four doubles, two home runs and three RBIs and has drawn more walks (nine) than strikeouts (seven) over his past nine games. That’s good for an eye-popping .536/.649/.893 slash line and 1.542 OPS over that span.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton credited Triolo for “just really being aggressive and swinging the bat well since he’s been back,” noting that he’s doing so whether ahead or behind in the count.

Jared Triolo with another Cannonball tonight. Check out yesterdays @Pirates Pre-game on @ATTSportsNetPIT were we go into some of the changes, and join us during post where we will explore into the power surge of the Buccos!! pic.twitter.com/BKb2xnTRux

— Michael McKenry (@theFortMcKenry) September 23, 2023

Triolo has shown the ability to play good defense not only at his natural position, third base, but by starting games at second base and first base. His versatility is no surprise. His bat, however, has opened some important eyes in the organization.

“He’s always been a guy who has good at-bats, sees the ball well, good swing decisions, makes enough contact but maybe not the impact, at least at the lower levels of the minor leagues, that ideally we’d want to see in the big leagues,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday on his weekly radio show on 93.7 FM. “He’s tried two or three different things over the last two years to get to a little bit more impact. More recently, he’s made an adjustment in his posture and allowed that barrel to come through seemingly a little faster and getting to pitches out front. … He’s been driving the ball and getting some extra base hits and home runs.”

Triolo unveiled the new stance against the New York Yankees on Sept. 17, hitting a pair of doubles off left-hander Carlos Rodon in a 3-2 win at PNC Park. Three days later, he homered in a 13-7 win over the Chicago Cubs. Triolo homered again last Friday in a 7-5 win at Cincinnati, then went 4 for 5 with a double and three runs scored in the 13-12 win over the Reds on Saturday and had another two-hit game Sunday.

The 25-year-old was one of several rookies who rallied the Pirates as they scored a combined 12 runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to cap the greatest comeback in franchise history.

“It’s just a little taste of what it’s going to be like going forward,” Triolo said. “It’s the kind of culture we want to start. I think everybody enjoyed watching that game. It was a lot of fun.”

Jared Triolo has reached base in nine straight games. He's got two hits and two walks tonight.

Someone should probably write about what's fueling this recent stretch. https://t.co/cezXL6aKKu

— Justice delos Santos (@justdelossantos) September 28, 2023

Pirates hitting coach Andy Haines saw untapped potential in the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Triolo, whose only season in the minors with double-digit home runs was at the hitter-friendly High-A Greensboro. Haines told Justice delos Santos of MLB.com that he felt like Triolo was “leaving a lot on the table,” so they worked on improving his posture in his stance as a way to take advantage of the power.

“Jared profiles as such a high-floor player,” Haines told MLB.com. “It’s just a great place to start as a hitter. He has all the foundational attributes. He’s a hitter first. He can navigate an at-bat. With his physicality and his hardware, you know if he can keep learning more about himself and tap into who he is at his best, you know that when they make mistakes out over the plate, he can do what he’s done the last few games.”

Cherington admitted he didn’t know much about Triolo, a 2019 second-round pick from the University of Houston, when he arrived that fall but kept getting good reports from scouts about his development. Triolo won a Rawlings minor-league Gold Glove and is a two-time winner of the Bill Mazeroski Award as the Pirates’ best defender in the minors, but his reputation wasn’t reduced to that of a glove-only guy.

“They just keep talking about his game, his aptitude on the bases and defensively,” Cherington said. “He’s just a baseball player. I’ve heard people say that and use that term in the past. That’s how people describe Jared Triolo. If he can add a little bit of impact and hit the ball hard … you’ve got a pretty good player.”

The problem was his path to the majors was blocked by Ke’Bryan Hayes, who signed an eight-year, $70 million contract in April 2022 and is one of the top defensive third basemen in baseball. Triolo made his major-league debut in late June, when Hayes was placed on the injured list with low back inflammation.

Triolo was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis in mid-August but returned Sept. 6 after designated hitter Andrew McCutchen suffered a season-ending left Achilles strain. Now that Triolo is impacting the ball, he’s pushing for a more permanent spot on the Pirates’ roster.

“I think he’s telling us, as we plan for 2024, he’s certainly someone that needs to be in consideration to have a role on the team,” Cherington said. “We’ll see how that all flushes out. He can play third base. That’s not a question. The only reason he moves around the field, really, is because we know we have a Gold Glove third baseman under contract for a long time and is one of the best in the game in (Hayes). So, we’re trying to create opportunities for ‘Tri’ to make an impact on the team. … He’s just a good baseball player. Those kind of guys end up finding their way onto the field.”