BRADENTON, Fla. — A transformative winter put Henry Davis in position to win a starting job out of spring training. A breakout spring did the trick for Jared Jones.
Together, they’ll break camp with the Pirates as members of the opening day roster when the team begins the 2024 regular season on Thursday against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park.
It will be the first time on an opening day roster for both. When Jones pitches, it’ll also mark his MLB debut.
“It means everything to me,” Jones said on Monday morning at LECOM Park. “I had tears in my eyes the whole day [Sunday]. I’m tearing up right now about it. It’s awesome. I love it.”
Shelton called Jones into his office on Sunday and started talking about how the pitcher had thrown a lot of innings over the past few seasons. The Pirates wanted to do right by Jones, Shelton added. Jones assumed he was being sent to Triple-A before the manager broke character.
“He deserved it,” Shelton said. “He put himself on the team.”
The Pirates revealed their opening day Monday. Among the other immediate takeaways:
• The bullpen has a different look due to injuries, as Colin Holderman (illness) and Carmen Mlodzinski (right forearm tightness) will both start on the 15-day injured list. Along with David Bednar, Aroldis Chapman and Ryan Borucki, it’ll be Josh Fleming, Roansy Contreras, Ryder Ryan, Hunter Stratton and Luis Ortiz.
• When it comes to the starting rotation, Falter will get the final spot despite pitching to a 7.88 ERA in 16 innings this spring.
• With position players, Yasmani Grandal (plantar fasciitis) and Ji Hwan Bae (hip flexor) will open on the 10-day injured list. The final bench spots include Alika Williams and Edward Olivares, meaning Billy McKinney did not make the team.
• Jones, Ryan and Stratton will require corresponding moves to be added to the 40-man roster.
“We feel good about the team we’re taking to Miami,” general manager Ben Cherington said. “But we also we have a bunch of guys who are going to start the year in Indy who are not all happy to be in Indy.
“They’re gonna keep pushing us over the course of the season.”
Before this spring, Jones was thought to be one of those types, a pitcher who’ll eventually make his MLB debut in 2024. He expedited that process with a dominant spring.
In six Grapefruit League games (three starts), Jones allowed just three unearned runs in 16 1/3 innings. The right-hander walked eight, struck out 15 and held opponents to a .167 batting average against.
Most impressive might be Jones’ intensity and demeanor on the mound. He’s not a big guy, but he pitches with an edge.
“I’m a competitor, man,” Jones said. “I’m the fiery little guy.”
Added Cherington: “He’s confident. He knows he has good stuff. It’ll be exciting to see him.”
On the mound, Jones wanted to refine his changeup — and has. He has a legitimate four-pitch mix, with a gyro slider becoming his most recognizable weapon. Jones used it to cover for a lack of feel and pile up 14 whiffs in five innings Saturday against the Red Sox.
Not only that, Jones delivers a four-seam fastball with above-average life, its velocity consistently in the upper-90s and topping out at 101 mph.
“Being able to compete, especially when I’m in leverage situations,” Jones said of what has spurred his success. “They didn’t get the most of me, and I feel like that was a big steppingstone for me.”
Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, logged 62 MLB games last season and hit .213 with a .653 — playing primarily as a right fielder.
Charged this offseason to improve his defense behind the plate, Davis did exactly that. With Grandal felled by plantar fasciitis in his left foot, Davis left little doubt that he’s the Pirates’ best option at catcher.
In 16 Grapefruit League games, Davis has hit .310 to go along with a 1.067 OPS that included three doubles, four home runs and 12 RBIs. His defense, especially his receiving, has been vastly improved.
All winter, Davis lived in Palmetto, across the Manatee River from Bradenton, and worked out with third-base coach Mike Rabelo at Pirate City. He and bullpen catcher/catching assistant Jordan Comadena have ongoing conversations about catching through text.
The work Davis did was based a lot on his setups and how his posture and initial body movements helped with pitch-framing.
The result has been Davis looking every bit like a major league catcher, as well as developing into the unquestioned leader of the Pirates’ younger group.
“At some point this spring, we just stopped asking ourselves, ‘Can he do this or not?’ ” Cherington said. “It was more about just watching the games. He’s worked with pitchers, and feedback from everyone has been really positive. Excited about where he’s at.”
Not that Davis was in the mood to take anything close to a victory lap.
“It’s not over now,” Davis said. “It’s always gotta be something that’s earned. I need to continue to prove that I can help the team win every day.”
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and @JMackeyPG on X.
First Published: March 25, 2024, 2:38 p.m.
Updated: March 25, 2024, 7:12 p.m.