Is Profar (2 homers) on verge of hitting stride?

May 10th, 2023

PITTSBURGH -- is still in the process of catching up, even if it didn’t look that way Tuesday night.

The left fielder hit a pair of homers, drove in three runs and scored three times as the Rockies rolled to a 10-1 win over the Pirates at PNC Park. The Rockies won for the seventh time in their last nine games, pounding 11 hits in the process.

Profar didn't sign with the Rockies as a free agent until March 21, less than two weeks before the start of the regular season and following a stint with the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic. Coming into Tuesday’s game, Profar was hitting just .210.

“I know it’s been a little bit of a difficult start for me,” Profar said. “But I’m working hard every day and trying to catch up. I didn’t have a Spring Training and the body felt that way the first month. But I’m working hard every day and trying to give my best to help the team win games.”

Profar certainly did his share against the Pirates with the third multihomer game of his 10-year career, raising his season homer total to five.

He hit a 386-foot solo shot to right-center in the second inning off Luis L. Ortiz to open the scoring. Profar then added a two-run blast in a five-run seventh inning that traveled 405 feet to center field off Duane Underwood Jr.

Rockies manager Bud Black was impressed by Profar’s performance but also thinks there are more big games to come.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him,” Black said. “For me, there’s an on-base component that we’re looking for and I think there is a little bit more of a batting average that we can see coincide with the on-base percentage. I think there is a professional hitter in there. There’s a professional big league player in there who shows up every day and can impact the game. He can swing the bat and he’s played solid defense, too. I don’t think he’s quite hit his stride yet.”

Profar is slashing .220/.310/.382 through 32 games. Despite the low batting average, Profar has been an asset to the Rockies offensively by reaching base in 21 consecutive games since April 15, the longest active streak in the National League.

Rockies hitting coach Hensley Meulens walked past Profar’s locker as he spoke with reporters after the game and said that a “new flipper” was the reason for the two-homer night.

While the pregame flip drills help, Profar is also aided by having a longtime relationship with Meulens, as both are natives of Curaçao and Meulens managed the Netherlands in the WBC.

Having that familiarity has helped Profar adjust to his new team despite signing so close to Opening Day.

“We have a pretty good team,” Profar said. “More importantly, we have pretty good guys, pretty good personalities in [the clubhouse]. They make me feel welcome and they help me every day. I just do my best to help my team every day, do anything I can do to get a hit or get on base or [play good] defense.”

Profar was one of many offensive stars for the Rockies, whose 10-run outburst enabled starting pitcher Connor Seabold to earn his first Major League win in his eighth career start. Ryan McMahon hit a two-run triple in the seventh and Charlie Blackmon and Kris Bryant each had two hits while Seabold allowed one run in five innings.

The performance came a night after the Pirates’ Mitch Keller threw a four-hit shutout in the series opener.

“We’ve been playing pretty good the last week or two,” Profar said. “We know what we can do. Last night, [Keller] had good stuff and we had to tip our cap and come back tonight and try to beat them.”