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Blake Sabol can flat out hit, which he showed Tuesday night with two monster home runs, and he's a catcher for the Curve.
The thing is, the Curve also have Henry Davis, last year's No. 1 overall draft pick, as a catcher. Davis is going to play, regardless, but Sabol also has to get his share of playing time to continue his impressive development.
How does someone in Sabol's spot view that kind of situation?
"Me and Henry have a really good relationship, we're actually really close friends," Sabol said after the Curve pounded Richmond, 12-2, before 3,024 fans at Peoples Natural Gas Field. "We went out to dinner (Monday) night actually together.
"I don't take (the competition) as discouraging by any means. I want to play around the best players, and obviously Henry's good in his own right. We like to compete with each other in the workdays. But I know that if I handle what I need to do, God has a plan for me. Hopefully I can help bring some wins to Pittsburgh, but maybe it could be with another team. But that's out of my control."
Center of attention
Sabol hit not one, but a pair of two-run homers over the wall in dead center, measured at 413 and 427 feet. There's never been a Curve player hit three homers in a game, and Sabol batted twice more but walked both times.
"It feels good," he said of the long balls. "Happy we got the win, first and foremost, but I definitely feel confident in the box. It was nice at the end, you could see how they don't want me to do it again because it seems like they were pitching around me a little bit.
"The last couple years I've been training really hard in the offseason, put on some extra weight, so I know when I get the barrel to the ball it can get out in most parks."
Sabol is batting .290 with four homers, 16 RBIs and an .866 OPS. He hit .297 with 11 homers, 33 RBIs and a .933 OPS in 52 games last year at high-A Greensboro.
"He did a great job tonight just staying within his zone and being ready to hit pitches within his zone," manager Kieran Mattison said,
Versatility is key
Sabol was the Pirates' seventh-round draft pick in 2019 out of USC, where he played a lot of outfield. So far in his pro career he has been a catcher and outfielder, and he's started doing work at first base. All of that versatility can only help, given that he and Davis are on the same developmental track at this stage.
"For me, I just want to be in the lineup any way, any how, so the more positions you can play," Sabol said.
"At the end of the day, everybody's got a job to do," Mattison said. "The mantra is 'control what you can control,' and Blake does a great job doing it. We'll find creative ways to get his bat in the lineup no matter what."
News and notes
Mattison said he's not sure if Davis will play in this morning's game, as he'll be evaluated again. Davis has missed the past four games with what's been reported as a minor wrist contusion.
Nick Gonzales went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs. Andres Alvarez hit his team-high fifth homer, as the Curve belted four on the night.
Travis MacGregor (1-1) won in relief for the Curve, after starter Kyle Nicolas allowed one run in four innings.