TAMPA, Fla. -- Learning a new organization was going to be hard enough for hitting coach Andy Haines. The lockout, which impeded his ability to contact his hitters, didn’t help. Before the clock struck midnight on Dec. 2, Haines did have one small advantage in his pocket.

“I have a funny fact for you,” Haines told reporters on Saturday. “There was a three- or four-day window between when I was hired and when the lockout was official. When I spoke to Bryan [Reynolds] on the phone, he literally lives down the street from me.”

While Haines and Reynolds had the benefit of proximity -- they had a conversation before the lockout -- contact between players and coaches was cut once the lockout was instituted. For Haines, that lack of communication made an already challenging task all the trickier. What Haines could do is have conversations with the staff he was set to join and establish a foundation for those relationships.

Through conversations with the coaching staff, Haines had insight into the ins and outs of the hitters he'd be working with. Haines credits assistant hitting coach Christian Marrero and Major League assistant Tim McKeithan, among others, for allowing him to have a nuanced understanding of the Pirates’ hitters once the lockout ended.

“I could dedicate so much time to staff. They played such a big role behind the scenes,” Haines said. “For me, having Christian return and Tim, who does tons of leg work, I feel like I knew the players as soon as they walked in.”

Among the laundry list of players Haines has gotten to know during Spring Training is Oneil Cruz, who has continued to light up Statcast. Halfway through Spring Training, Cruz has struck two balls that produced an exit velocity of 113.4 mph, as well as a no-doubt home run in Port Charlotte that was likely at least 117 mph.

For all the hype Cruz has generated, Haines shies away from anointing him as the game's next star, expressing a desire to allow Cruz to grow into his own skin and learn the game’s nuances. That said, Haines has marveled at just how hard Cruz is able to strike a ball. To Haines, Cruz’s ability to make contact with such force and such violence reminds him of a former MVP.

“Just from a physical standpoint, his presence, and the contact that he makes I would say is Giancarlo Stanton back in Miami,” Haines said. “It's just a very similar, impressive physical presence along with the loud, hard contact. I'd say that's the one player at that age that's similar.”

Haines arrives in Pittsburgh with Cruz in the infancy of his Major League career, but Reynolds has already undergone his evolution as one of the game's best players and premier offensive threats. Haines discussed the opportunity to work with Reynolds, whom he describes as "too good to be true."

“We have great conversations, and I've tried to be a great listener,” Haines said. “A wise man told me that in coaching, a lot of times a great question is way better than a smart answer. With Bryan, you don't want to give him the answers to the test. He's proven he can find the answers. There are a lot of layers to that, but I've enjoyed it so far.”

Haines' primary responsibility will be assisting the hitters who wear the black and gold, but he understands that the franchise’s future pillars are making their way through the pipeline. He won't have the opportunity to work hands on with the organization's top prospects once the season begins, but Haines emphasized the importance of newly hired Triple-A Indianapolis hitting coach Eric Munson.

To Haines, Munson, the third overall pick in the 1999 MLB Draft, has seen just about all the game has to offer. Haines expressed his excitement about the organization's top prospects being able to work with Munson and fellow coach Brady Conlan, a pairing that Haines said was "as good a combination to support our players and their journey."

“I'm excited for our players to have those resources at that level. I think it is ultra, ultra important because as confident as I am in our players, and I'm impressed by our system, we know how the path works. It's not linear,” Haines said. “Mike Trout went back to Triple-A. Mickey Mantle went back to Triple-A. It doesn't work like we think sometimes. There's a path that's a little messy for guys to establish themselves as good Major League players. Being aware that that's part of the journey is super important."