Why this Bucs pitcher is rocking new look

This story was excerpted from Justice delos Santos’ Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here_. And_ subscribe_ _to get it regularly in your inbox.

When he saw Duane Underwood Jr.’s new hair color, Mitch Keller said what was on just about everyone’s mind.

“Holy s---, man,” Keller said. “Wow!”

The reaction was valid. When Underwood appeared in the Pirates’ clubhouse earlier this week, his hair was no longer a natural dark brown, but a stunning deep gold.

Underwood didn’t dye his hair just because he wanted to switch things up. Ahead of the World Baseball Classic, members of Team Puerto Rico will be dyeing their hair blond, continuing the tradition from the previous tournament in 2017.

“It’s a dream come true, man,” Underwood said. “I can remember being a little younger and watching the Classic. Being on that world stage, it’s an honor and a blessing. To be able to represent my family and the country of Puerto Rico will be a really great experience.”

This is new territory for Underwood, who had never dyed his hair before. He hadn’t really done anything with his hair, period, typically content to stick with a taper fade.

To execute the look, Underwood’s sister, Kayla -- a hair stylist with a decade of experience -- flew to Bradenton, Fla., from Atlanta to bleach his hair. The first bleaching session didn’t yield the intended results, turning Underwood’s hair more of a red color. But following another session, the Underwood siblings achieved the desired look. Underwood has one more session in store; his hair is currently a golden color, but he wants it to be platinum.

Needless to say, Keller wasn’t the only Pirate to share his thoughts.

“I’ve got a couple double takes,” Underwood said. “Everybody’s kind of just given me a look, but I think I’m rocking it. I don’t mind it at all. I’ve never done anything with my hair, personally, but I’m enjoying this. This is fun. It might be something I do for the rest of the year.”