ALTOONA, Pa. — After a sizzling summer, has catcher Endy Rodriguez surged ahead of Henry Davis on the Pirates’ internal depth chart?
Although Davis was the top pick for the 2021 MLB Draft he has had his career stymied due to injuries such as a fractured wrist from being struck by a pitch. Rodriguez wasn’t exactly an understudy at the start of the season — Davis and Rodriguez were sort of the 1A/1B catchers at High-A Greensboro — but he blossomed when he got behind the plate more frequently in Davis’ absence. Davis has brought a new twist to the game since being placed on the injured reserve a few weeks back. Two games in the Outfield.
Who’ll win the race and get to the majors first? If Rodriguez makes a quick appearance with the Pirates in the final week of this season, would that signal he’s cemented as the club’s top catching prospect?
Chad Noble smiled and declined to take the bait as minor-league catching coordinator.
“Let’s flip the script and say Endy got hit (by a pitch) that day and Henry kept going,” Noble said. “We could very well be talking about Endy having struggles at the plate and all this stuff. So that’s a hard question.
“As far as Endy being ahead of Henry, I don’t see it that way. They’re so different in the ways they do everything that it’s hard to even compare them.”
Rodriguez was hoping to be promoted one level higher in the farm system when he entered this season. Six weeks ago, Rodriguez got his wish when he was promoted from Double-A Altoona.
Rodriguez, 22 years old, has been just as passionate about Altoona than he was in Greensboro. Rodriguez had the best summer of any Pirates prospect and he decided to upgrade his plans.
“I want to play in big leagues this year,” Rodriguez said. “My goal at the beginning of the season was to play (in Double A). Now I have to move up. That’s my new goal. That’s why I always play hard. When we play hard, we can make something happen.”
Endy Rodriguez slugged.356/.442/.678 over 31 games for Altoona. (Josh Lavallee/ Pittsburgh Pirates).
Rodriguez did not play Sunday in Altoona’s season finale. He’s likely headed to Triple-A Indianapolis where there are still 10 games.
“I tell Endy all the time, ‘Keep doing your thing and soon you’ll be in Indy,’” Noble said. “He always goes, ‘I don’t want to go to Indy. I want to go to Pittsburgh.’ Endy would fit right in (with the Pirates). He’d walk in and not even be perceived as a rookie. They’d just be like, ‘Let’s go, man.’”
It’s possible Rodriguez will make a cameo appearance before the Pirates wrap up their season on Oct. 5. The shortstop position was a success last year. Oneil CruzIndy to Altoona, and then two major-league games during the last week of the season.
Rodriguez must be placed on the Pirates’ 40-man roster this offseason to He should be protected from the Rule 5 draft. Two spots are still available on the Pirates’ 40-man roster. Manager might decide to move Rodriguez in the next few weeks, giving Rodriguez a chance to experience the big leagues.
“It wouldn’t surprise me because I’ve had a really good year and they know I can help the team,” said Rodriguez, who recently moved into the final spot on Baseball America’s Top 100 list.
Rodriguez’s combined total of.317/.406/.580 was accompanied by 24 homers. Even though the pitchers had better stuff, Rodriguez’s bat was hot even after he made the jump to Double A.
“Last night, I saw only two fastballs, both coming out of the (setting) sun. Everything else was a curveball or changeup,” Rodriguez said, shaking his head. “They know I can hit.”
Davis will be heading to the Arizona Fall League in a few weeks. Rodriguez will be playing for Estrellas Orientales, the Dominican Winter League’s opening season.
Davis, 22, was only in 59 games during the season. He was plunked on the wrist his last game with Greensboro. He scored his first win Sunday. 20th hit-by-pitchAltoona’s final plate appearance.
Rodriguez has made 70 starts as a catcher, 16 at third base, and 12 in left-field. It wasn’t until Davis suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left wrist that Rodriguez became an everyday catcher.
“(Rodriguez) has the athleticism and all the tools,” an evaluator from another club said. “I love his enthusiasm. His swing is amazing. He just needs more. The versatility is nice, but I’d get him behind the plate every day.”
The Pirates have had to tread a delicate line in developing their prodigious catchers at the same levels as the system. It’s been a challenge for Noble, a former CubsBullpen catcher, whom the Pirates employed as a coordinator back in January.
“You can get in trouble when you focus solely on one guy, even if he is ‘the guy,’” Noble said. “My goal is not for them to be, like, C1 and C2 (first string and second string) in the big leagues. They bring so much value and I want them both to contribute equally. They catch differently, they hit differently, but they’re both really productive.”
Henry Davis was injured and could only play in 59 games this season. (Mike Janes / Four Seam Images via Associated Press
Davis has a calm and steady catch style. He used to set up in college with his left knee on dirt. Davis was a better thrower and blocker when the Pirates changed it to his right knee.
Rodriguez has what Noble calls a “flowy” style. He uses a one-knee down set-up but often switches to his knees. Rodriguez can also get to the ground lower than Davis.
Davis is a type A personality. He makes mound visits with a calm, no-nonsense attitude. “He’ll go out there and be like, ‘I’ve done my homework. I’ve got you,’” Noble said. “Endy is like, ‘Come on, man, let’s go! Let’s have fun!’ Two different styles and both are very effective.”
One scout noticed Rodriguez was hesitant during his mound visits. Rodriguez seemed more in control on the field when the scout returned a few months later.
Noble noted that Rodriguez made a significant step forward after Davis moved to Altoona, and Rodriguez assumed full-time catching duties for Greensboro.
“Endy started really immersing himself in catching,” Noble said. “I think that really gave him the idea of, ‘Hey, these guys are throwing to me every day. They have more trust in me now because I’m playing more.’ That freed him up to become the kind of game manager we need.”
(Top photo of Endy Rodriguez courtesy Altoona Curve
