The talent has always been there for outfielder Hudson Head, it’s just been a matter of putting it all together.
Drafted in the the third round back in 2019 by the San Diego Padres, Head was acquired in the Joe Musgrove trade before he even played a full season of minor league baseball.
He’s shown a strong approach at the plate (career 12.8 BB%), but has also struggled with strikeouts throughout his career. At some point there was hope that all of the tools would combine, and his patience at the plate would help cut down on the strikeouts.
Every now and again we get to see flashes of what Head is capable of, and Tuesday night was one of those times.
He started off in the field, making this amazing diving catch in center to get the out.
Hudson Head EXTENDS out to make that catch in the CF. #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/AkPUelAkRH
— Anthony Murphy (@__Murphy88) May 2, 2023
He wrapped things up on the offensive side of things, going 3-for-4, with two triples and a double.
After striking out in his first at-bat of the night, Head takes a fastball from another lefty the other way straight into the left-center gap for a triple.
Hudson Head had a big day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two triples and a double. #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/EnWEg8Md8U
— Anthony Murphy (@__Murphy88) May 3, 2023
Overall, among the three hits, he goes to dead center once and then the other way the other times.
Head has a sweet swing from the left side that was really put on display Tuesday. He’s a reminder that not all develop is linear, and sometimes prospects need to simmer a little longer than others — with the payout potentially being great.
The strikeouts are still a concern, but he’s also still just 22-years-old, and there’s still plenty of time to work on that.
Prospect Notes
— Jared Triolo made his season debut on Tuesday in the form of a rehab appearance in Bradenton. He’s fantastic defensively at third base and has slowly added to his repertoire the last few seasons, even getting some time at first during spring.
With the team’s current success, there’s no rush for him to make any type of impact at the major league level. He does provide another right-handed option that can play in the infield, and despite not hitting for much power, has been a hit machine the previous two seasons.
— In his 13th game for Bradenton this year, Shalin Polanco picked up his first home run of the season on Tuesday. One of their big international signings, Polanco hasn’t been off to the best of starts (.196 AVG, 35 K%) but has put up a strong walk rate (16.9%) and has hit the ball hard when he’s made contact.
His average exit velocity is slightly below average at the major league level (87.5), which is a great starting point for a 19-year-old in Single-A, and is squaring up the ball at an elite rate – owning a 12% barrel rate. That mark would be a Top-50 number in Major League Baseball among qualified hitters.
Daily Video Rundown
.@Pirates 2022 5th Round Pick Tres Gonzalez hits HR in his First game with the @GSOHoppers …. @WFMY #wfmysports @pirateprospects pic.twitter.com/IGSZMHE8SA
— Brian Hall (@bhallwfmy) May 3, 2023
Tres Gonzalez got off to an amazing start in Bradenton that earned him a promotion to High-A, and in his first game there hit a home run.
Lolo plates our first run of the week with a rocket double to left! pic.twitter.com/aluD0H3uO0
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) May 2, 2023
Lolo Sanchez drives in the first run of the game for Altoona, although they eventually lost that game.
In his sixth appearance of the season, Ryan Harbin surrendered his first run. Here’s a look at a previous outing in April.
PIRATES PROSPECTS DAILY
By Tim Williams
Pirates Recap: Pirates Learn There’s No Room For Mistakes Against the Best Team in Baseball
Prospect Watch: Strong Greensboro Debut for Tres Gonzalez, Five Scoreless Frames for Dominic Perachi
Minor Moves: Pirates Promote Tres Gonzalez to Greensboro; Owings and Triolo Return
Pirates Prospects April Player of the Month: Henry Davis
