After a day off for every Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate, the minor league schedule started back up on Thursday with two games on the schedule. The Florida Complex League Pirates had a game, while the two Dominican Summer League Pirates teams had a scheduled game. That second game was postponed due to rain. Only five of the 25 DSL games were started today, and two didn’t finish.
Here’s a recap from the FCL Pirates, as well as a prospect report on one of the players in that game. The full minor league schedule resumes tomorrow.
Eddy Rodriguez, 1B/OF FCL Pirates
The Pirates signed Eddy Rodriguez (pictured above) out of the Dominican Republic in January 2021, as part of the delayed 2020-21 international signing class. They had a group of four outfielders with above average power potential in that signing class, including Rodriguez. He was 6’0″, 180 pounds at the time, but he had a late growth spurt to get him to that point, so he had a lot of filling out to do still. The raw power potential was already there before the growth spurt. His potential was very reliant on that power coming through, as he was strictly a corner outfielder, with limited speed/defense to his game.
Rodriguez has remained similar to what his scouting report projected in his three seasons. He moved up to the FCL Pirates this year, after two seasons in the DSL. He has played some first base along with the corner outfield spots, so he still needs the bat to get him places. He debuted with a .253/.358/.429 slash line in 36 games during the 2021 season, hitting three homers, while showing solid walk/strikeout rates.
Rodriguez saw his average drop last year in 48 games, but the OPS improved due to his walks/HBP, leading to a strong OPS mark in a league that favors pitchers. He hit .238/.411/.429 in 168 plate appearances. He improved to six homers, while seeing a small uptick in his strikeout rate, which was still acceptable for a power hitter.
The 2023 season has seen Rodriguez play first base and outfield, while hitting .314/.419/.431 over 17 games through Thursday’s action, when he picked up two hits. He only has one homer so far, but he’s greatly improved his average, while striking out nine times in 62 plate appearances. He’s playing this entire season at 19 years old, so we are seeing some nice improvements from a teenager.
The FCL/GCL has never been a league for power numbers. The ball doesn’t travel anywhere, the parks are big, the players are young. It would be nice to see the homers along with the improvements everywhere else on offense, but it’s not imperative for future success. Rodriguez is in a good place right now with his progress.
Game Time: 12:00 PM
FCL Pirates Starter: Antwone Kelly (2-0, 2.95)
–Line: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 SO
Player of the Game: Kelvin Diaz 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, SB
Boxscore: Pirates 6, Rays 4
The Pirates won 6-4 on Thursday, putting up all of their runs early, then holding on for the win.
Starter Antwone Kelly allowed one run over three innings on three hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
Enmanuel De Los Santos made his first appearance since August 3, 2022, allowing one run in his only inning of work. He missed all of the 2021 season due to injury, right after sitting out the canceled 2020 season, so he has put in minimal work since 2019.
Jackson Grounds tossed a scoreless frame. Jose Garces gave up two runs over three innings, but still got the win. Hung-Leng Chang got the save with a scoreless ninth.
The Pirates scored in the top of the first on an error and an Eddy Rodriguez single.
They added a run in the second on an error during a stolen base. A wild pitch scored a run in the third.
Kelvin Diaz hit a two-run homer in the fourth to cap their scoring. It was his second homer of the season.
The Pirates went 6-for-6 in stolen bases, but they went 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position, wasting plenty of opportunities to add on runs.
Diaz, Rodriguez and Jeral Toledo each had two hits. Jhonson Pena walked three times and stole two bases, giving him ten steals on the year.
