{"id":71438,"date":"2024-04-26T10:00:53","date_gmt":"2024-04-26T14:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=71438"},"modified":"2024-04-25T22:39:50","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T02:39:50","slug":"joey-bart-pirates-hot-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/04\/26\/joey-bart-pirates-hot-start\/","title":{"rendered":"Former No. 1 Draft Pick\u2019s Hot Start Continues for Pirates"},"content":{"rendered":"

Critics who wondered why the Pittsburgh Pirates traded for Joey Bart<\/a> have been silenced by his hot start. Bart was the No. 1 draft choice (second overall) by the San Francisco Giants in the 2018 June Amateur Draft. The Pirates acquired the catcher in a trade<\/a> with the Giants on April 2 in exchange for minor league pitcher Austin Strickland<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Depending on one\u2019s point of view, Bart either failed with San Francisco or was never given much of an opportunity. Before playing in Triple-A, he was forced into action during the 2020 COVID-shortened season when Buster Posey<\/a> declined to participate. In 162 games over parts of four seasons with the Giants, Bart hit .219\/.288\/.335 with 11 HR and 38 RBI. Bart, 27, had a nice spring training with the Giants, hitting 12-for-29 with seven walks in 15 exhibition games. However, the Giants had already predetermined that Patrick Bailey<\/a> would be their starting catcher. When the Giants designated Bart for assignment, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington came calling.<\/p>\n

Hot Start by Bart is Just What Pirates Need<\/h2>\n

At the close of Thursday\u2019s action, in 2024 Bart is 7-for-23 with 3 HR and 8 RBI in seven games. In his first at-bat as a Pirate, he hit a long two-run home run off the Baltimore Orioles\u2019 Tyler Wells<\/a> at PNC Park. He followed that up with his second homer in his third start at Philadelphia against the Phillies\u2019 Seranthony Dom\u00ednguez<\/a>.
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