P2Daily: Jared Triolo Has Been A Hit Machine The Last Two Years

For each of the last two seasons, it may have been easy to overlook third base prospect Jared Triolo when looking at the Opening Day roster of the team’s he has played for.

Being part of an infield that included Nick Gonzales and Liover Peguero — not only two of the top prospects in the Pirates system, but in all of baseball — it could be easy to not get recognized.

All Triolo has done over the last two years is hit. He doesn’t have a ton of home run power, but is excellent at using the gaps to pick up extra bases.

His 2022 season didn’t get off to the best of starts, at least from that extra-base hit standpoint. In the first two months of the season, he picked up just seven doubles and slashed .265/.350/.309 in 183 plate appearances. He drew plenty of walks, excelling in the leadoff spot when he was penciled in that spot of the lineup.

From June until the end of the season, Triolo finished as good as any player on the Altoona roster, hitting .293/.391/.487, with 28 extra-base hits, and nine home runs in 312 plate appearances.

Triolo ended up seventh in the Eastern League in hits, and tied for the highest batting average among players who finished the season at the level (Brett Batty had a higher qualifying average, but finished the year in the majors).

If that sounds familiar, it’s because it should, as Triolo finished with the best average in the High-A East division last year, again among players who finished the season there. He was only beat out by teammate Matt Fraizer.

He also finished with 128 hits, tops in the league that year. That gives Triolo 248 hits over the last two years combined.

That hasn’t even factored in his Gold Glove level defense at third base.

Triolo may never be one of the team’s top prospects, but over the last two years he’s been one of the most productive in the system. He’ll be Rule 5 eligible in the offseason and at the least could be a strong bench option in the majors one day, with his ability to hit and defense at third making him a safer option.

Highlight of the Day

Quinn Priester hit 94-96 in the first and flashed a nice curveball. Mostly threw fastballs. Managed to jam Barger to end the inning pic.twitter.com/h7SzJteP6E

— Prospects Worldwide (@ProspectsWorldW) October 8, 2022