In a make-or-break spring, Swaggerty is scorching hot

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Of the several dozen players in Major League camp, perhaps no one has more to prove than Travis Swaggerty. So far, he’s proven plenty.

Swaggerty strengthened his case for the Opening Day roster in Friday’s 10-4 loss to the Phillies at BayCare Ballpark, hammering his second home run of Spring Training and adding two more hits to his stat line. There’s no shortage of players competing for a spot on Pittsburgh’s bench, and through two weeks, Swaggerty has outshined them all.

“Every day is kind of maintenance for me. Just cleaning little things up with my path and timing and everything,” said Swaggerty, who owns a 1.047 OPS across 16 plate appearances. “It comes with reps; the more reps I get, the more comfortable I feel and I’m sure that goes with everybody in here. I’m just trying to maximize my opportunities every day.”

This spring is an important one for Swaggerty, whose future with the organization has become uncertain over the last several months.

In the not-too-distant past, Swaggerty appeared to be a pillar of Pittsburgh’s future. He performed well in 2019 with High-A Greensboro (nine home runs and 23 steals in 121 games), and after the '20 Minor League season was canceled due to COVID-19, the Pirates assigned Swaggerty to Triple-A Indianapolis, having him skip Double-A Altoona. Then, the setbacks.

Swaggerty played just 12 games with Indianapolis before dislocating his right shoulder, an injury that forced him to miss the remainder of the 2021 season. He returned to action in '22 and made his Major League debut in June, but he spent the bulk of the season at Triple-A. With Indianapolis, Swaggerty put up a .254/.348/.399 slash line across 458 plate appearances. By wRC+, Swaggerty was only two percent better than league average.

“[Not getting promoted back to the Majors] was just motivation for me,” Swaggerty said. “I really, really got after it and made sure that when I get there, I’m ready to compete. I feel like I’m in a good spot right now, so it’s just [about] continuing to do it every day and keep showing up."

Now, Swaggerty finds himself in a precarious spot with the Pirates. He’s not just fighting for the Opening Day roster; he’s fighting to remain on the 40-man roster, period.

Over the course of this season, the Pirates will need to shuffle some pieces on their 40-man roster, which is currently full.

They’ll need to add a backup catcher to complement Austin Hedges. A non-roster invitee or two could force their way onto the Opening Day roster. Henry Davis and Quinn Priester, two of Pittsburgh’s top prospects, will likely make their debuts this season. Other prospects who aren’t on the 40-man roster -- such as middle infielder Nick Gonzales, first baseman Malcom Nunez and outfielder Matt Gorski, among others -- might play their way up to the Majors as well. There’s also the possibility of roster moves down the road.

This is all to say that, in time, the Pirates will have to clear roster spots. If Swaggerty does not play well, he could be one of those players.

“There’s 40-man moves every year with every team. I’m not really worried about that,” Swaggerty said. “I’ve said it before; I’m just going to control what I can control every day and do what I can to make myself better, to make us better. At the end of the day, that’s all I’m trying to do. So, if the opportunity presents itself, I feel like I’m mentally and physically ready.”

What Swaggerty can control is how he performs, and so far, he’s been one of Pittsburgh’s best players this spring. Along with the offense, Swaggerty showed off his arm last week by throwing out a runner at the plate with a perfect throw.

With a healthy offseason, the 25-year-old returned to a normal routine, focusing more on fluidity and movement than pure strength. He said he stuck with the plan that the Pirates’ strength staff presented him, fighting off the urge to focus solely on adding muscle.

“I stayed stubborn to [the plan] instead of being like, ‘Hey, I’m going to do my meathead stuff today’ -- which I love doing,” Swaggerty said.

Swaggerty hasn’t secured a spot just yet. Should he continue stringing together excellent games, he can very well play his way onto the Opening Day roster -- and earn some long-term staying power in the process.