I was impressed with Ryan Borucki last night.
The left came on to pitch the sixth inning against the Blue Jays, taking on Justin Turner, Alejandro Kirk, and Kevin Kiermaier. After 12 pitches, Borucki struck out the side, thanks to six whiffs. He got the swing and miss twice each on three different pitches — the slider, sweeper, and changeup. That included two strikeouts on the sweeper.
Borucki looks like he could be a secret weapon if the Pirates employ an opener strategy. At the very least, he boosts the middle innings, giving a shutdown lefty who can get the ball to Aroldis Chapman and David Bednar with a lead. That said, he might be better used early in the game, to help set the tone.
The Pirates employed an opener strategy last year, and Borucki pitched a few times in the first inning as part of that strategy. If they go that route again this year, which would be wise considering their unproven rotation, they could turn to Borucki and his sweeper in the first inning of some games. That would put a strikeout pitcher against the top of the lineup to start the game, working as almost a reverse-closer. You never know who is going to come to the plate in the ninth inning, but you always know that the first inning will feature the best hitters on the team.
Borucki could shut down the best hitters at least one time through the lineup, making things easier on the unproven starters. Those starters might benefit from starting their outing against the bottom half of the lineup, perhaps with an early lead from the offense. Borucki would not only give the offense a chance to take an early lead, but he’d give a great opportunity to get through one of the hardest innings in the game.
On a related note last night, Roansy Contreras pitched in relief, throwing 15 pitches with six whiffs. Contreras picked up three strikeouts, with a 1-2 hit coming off his slider. The encouraging thing was that his four-seam generated four whiffs, after struggling with the pitch as a starter. Contreras might be a better relief option than a starting candidate. I still think he’d benefit from a sinker in any role.
The Pirates lost to the Blue Jays by a 3-2 score, with the runs coming off solo homers from Bryan Reynolds and Jared Triolo. The home run by Triolo in the ninth inning set a new club record for home runs during Spring Training with 48. The previous record was 47, set in 2006 and tied in 2018.
In other news, Mitch Keller threw 89 pitches across six innings against Orioles minor leaguers at Pirate City.
Roster Moves
With a week to go until Opening Day, the Pirates roster is starting to take shape. Last night they optioned Joshua Palacios and Nick Gonzales to the minors. Palacios was battling for one of the bench spots, and this move leaves Edward Olivares and Billy McKinney likely battling for a reserve outfield spot. Gonzales was battling for a second base role, but had fallen behind Liover Peguero and Jared Triolo.
The Pirates now have 43 active players remaining in camp.
Pirates Prospects Daily
Speaking of the whiff stat, I wrote about the importance of the swing and miss, and how the Pirates pitchers stack up relative to the league.
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Today in Florida
It’s supposed to rain all day today. The Pirates are set to take on the Orioles in Sarasota at 6:05 PM EST. Jared Jones will make the start. I’m in Bradenton this weekend, and will hopefully get to see some action at Pirate City.
This Week on Pirates Prospects
**The History of Anthony Solometo’s Funky Delivery
Read about how Anthony Solometo developed one of the funkiest deliveries in the game and reached the upper levels as one of the top prospects in the Pirates’ system.
**Braxton Ashcraft Returned From Tommy John With MLB Stuff
Braxton Ashcraft is looking like he could help the Pirates in 2024, with the help of three plus offerings.
**Thomas Harrington Emerged as a Top Ten Prospect in His Pro Debut
He’s down with a shoulder issue right now, but Thomas Harrington showed he was a top ten prospect in the system with his 2023 debut.
**J.P. Massey Shows His Future Potential During Eventful 2023 Season
After a trip to the MLB Future’s Game, and a full season in A-ball, J.P. Massey is showing off potential that could lead to a future in Pittsburgh.
**Jackson Wolf’s Elevator Delivery Explained
Solometo isn’t the only lefty with a funky delivery. Read about Jackson Wolf, who the Pirates acquired from the Padres last year at the deadline.
**Aaron Shortridge Progressing Steady As a Turtle
Entering his third year removed from Tommy John surgery, Aaron Shortridge is starting to feel like his former self.
