PITTSBURGH -- This isn’t the first time Jared Triolo has heated up in the final months of a season. In fact, it’s almost become a yearly tradition, as the Pirates’ infielder usually racks up hits later in the year.
On Saturday, he had his best offensive performance of not only the year, but one of the best of his career, launching a home run and a triple off the wall in center as the Pirates beat the Rockies at PNC Park, 5-1.
Those seven total bases are a career high, and with those two hits in the bag in the fifth, it was the closest he’s ever flirted with the cycle.
"I wish. I got the two hardest ones out of the way,” Triolo said. “That would've been cool."
Instead of the cycle, he’ll have to settle for piling on the insurance runs Saturday. After Triolo knocked down a ball in the infield in the second inning to save a run defensively, Andrew McCutchen gave the Pirates a 2-0 lead with a homer down the line to left. Triolo pounced on a Kyle Freeland fastball the next inning and put it in the seats in left-center for his fourth homer of the year, and then he scored on a Bryan Reynolds double in the fifth after tripling off of the wall.
Triolo has hit better since being recalled from the Minors on Aug. 1, slashing .303/.395/.430 over 20 games through Saturday. His peripherals have been solid, too, as his actual and expected wOBA were practically identical coming into the game (.338 actual, .340 xwOBA).
"Man, he's swinging the bat great,” manager Don Kelly said. “Barreling balls. Honestly, his swing throughout the year, he didn't have the results to show for it. I know he wished the results were there, but we're starting to see that.”
"Probably just better execution,” Triolo said, explaining the hot streak. “Just kind of swinging at the right pitches. Not swinging at pitcher's pitches is the big thing for me. Hitting the mistakes."
Triolo did admit to changing where he is setting his hands, moving them higher like they were when he was a rookie in 2023. You can see the change below, with the swing on the left coming against the Mets in his last home game before being optioned, and the swing on the right being his home run.
He feels comfortable there, so he made the move after he was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis last month. So far, the results speak for themselves.
This is the third straight year Triolo has heated up around August, but this might be the most pivotal year for him to finish strong. The Pirates’ infield is in flux. Ke’Bryan Hayes was traded away last month and Isiah Kiner-Falefa is set to hit free agency at the end of the year. Those jobs are up for grabs, and what better way to fill a Gold Glover’s spot than with another Gold Glover in Triolo?
The reason why the Pirates moved on from Hayes was because they needed to get more offensive production out of the hot corner. Triolo has shown he can hit pick it, but he needs to show he can be more consistent with the bat. The offensive peripherals were better in the first half of the year than the actual results, as Kelly alluded to, giving some reason for optimism.
He still had to wear that rough stretch to start the year, but kept his head up. It’s earned him another opportunity to prove he can be part of the team’s infield plans moving forward.
“You've seen other guys in this locker room do the same thing,” Triolo said. “[Tommy] Pham did the same thing and look where he's at now. I guess seeing that just gave me confidence."