#VerifyBligh: Madris making late pursuit of Opening Day roster

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Bligh Madris has been on two quests. The first is to reach the Major Leagues. That’s been the goal from the jump. The second, and arguably more important one, is to get verified on social media.

He finally achieved the latter. Maybe, just maybe, it’s helping with his pursuit of the former.

With the #VerifyBligh campaign -- Madris' jovial pursuit of the blue checkmark after being denied several times -- officially a success (at least on Instagram), Madris has, coincidentally, caught fire on the field. Entering Sunday, he’s riding a four-game hitting streak. He’s got an extra-base hit in every contest, including two home runs. With the start of the season looming, he's still with the Pirates, fighting to make the Opening Day roster, fighting to achieve the dream.

"I think he's done a great job," said manager Derek Shelton. "He's had really good at-bats. He's played well, and he's presented himself really well, and when you present yourself really well, that puts you in a good spot moving forward."

While fun to draw a correlation between imaginary clout and tangible results, the origins of Madris’ power streak are partially a product of a batting stance adjustment.

At the beginning of Spring Training, Madris was more hunched over, his bat resting on his shoulder. He found himself getting tied up in his first slew of plate appearances. A tweak was necessary. In recent games, Madris is more upright, his hands closer to the plate.

Madris theorized that with his long arms and fast hands, these changes allowed him to “work freely through the zone.” Assisting the tinkering process was Pirates hitting coach Andy Haines, Triple-A hitting coach Eric Munson and fellow Indianapolis coach Brady Conlan, the latter of whom said Madris has “30 homers in him if he wants to.” So far, the early returns have been encouraging.

“Any hitter is always trying to find that thing that clicks,” Madris said. “We’re always on a constant search to find what clicks.”

Things were certainly clicking for Madris on Saturday against the Red Sox when he notched a single and double off Nathan Eovaldi, someone Madris has watched from afar for years. Madris glowed over having the opportunity to share the field with Eovaldi, Enrique Hernández, Trevor Story and J.D. Martinez, among others.

Should Madris keep playing well, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to play against the game’s brightest stars.

“It was awesome,” Madris said. “[My family and friends were] like, 'How did you pull this off?' It was just a lot of fun. Just seeing how I can compete with that caliber and level that I've seen on TV for so long is super cool. Gives me a lot of confidence."

That confidence stands to rise if Madris makes the team out of camp. So far, he’s averted every wave of cuts. With Indianapolis, Madris hit .272/.352/.434 with nine home runs and a 111 wRC+ while playing both left and right field. But unlike his résumé, Madris’ competition is thinning.

Anthony Alford (right hand) is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day. Outfielder Jared Oliva was designated for assignment when the Pirates traded for Josh VanMeter. With Alford likely to miss the beginning of the season, the Pirates don't have any primary outfielders on their 40-man roster who have not been assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis. VanMeter and Hoy Park have experience in the outfield, but don’t have Madris’ experience roaming the grass.

All that said, Madris’ making of the Opening Day roster might still be a tricky proposition. The argument against is that he currently isn’t on the Pirates’ 40-man roster. To get Madris on the 40-man, the Pirates would have to designate someone for assignment or make a trade. That's hard enough. What makes it trickier is that the Pirates already need to clear a spot on the roster for a backup catcher. Moving one player to clear a roster spot isn’t an easy decision, nevertheless two.

For Madris, being selected for the Opening Day roster would be a “dream come true,” an unexpected one given that it’s his first Spring Training with the big leaguers. His fate -- Pittsburgh or Indianapolis -- remains unknown. Regardless, he’s making one heck of a first impression. Even if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster, the opportunity to suit up in a Major League game is within sight.

"I just want to continue being the player I am right now,” Madris said. “I’m just trying to be that guy every day, because I have a feeling that once that happens, I'll be up with the team sooner rather than later."