“We have seen him hit”: Pirates’ Derek Shelton reveals Darick Hall eyes first base spot
The Pirates, perhaps quite recently, have stubbed their toe on a diamond-in-the-rough or mighty bat poised to take a swing toward spring training glory. With first baseman Spencer Horwitz now lost to an uncertain amount of time due to a right wrist injury, a major opportunity has fallen to eager minor leaguer and another signee of the Pirates, Darick Hall. Hall signed a minor league contract with the team in December, subsequently landing himself a nifty golden ticket: the chance to claim the first base spot in spring training.
Darick Hall Seizes Opportunity to Compete for First Base Role as Pirates Look for Power at the Plate
You could safely say that Derek Shelton, manager of the Pirates, is quite excited about this new opportunity. About Hall, Shelton had only nice things to say, especially when it came to that big stick of his. “He’s definitely going to be in the competition,” Shelton claimed to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “A big-body guy with the ability to have good at-bats and hit the ball out of the park.” We’ve seen him do it before in the big leagues, and we like the bat. We know what he brings.”
Now, to those not in the know, this is the story of perseverance and hard work that got Darick Hall to this moment. Hall was drafted 14th overall by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2016 MLB Draft and, after slogging it out in the minors for several years, made his long-awaited debut, at last, in 2022. Over 42 games, his display was condensed into a .250/.282/.522 line with the help of nine impressive home runs. Not bad for a rookie. Too bad, however, it was still not enough to secure Hall a place on the postseason roster during the Phillies’ World Series run.
But in baseball, they always say the game is about second chances-and Hall is about ready to grab his. In 2023, he made the Opening Day roster to fill in while stars Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins were recovering from injuries. Unfortunately, a thumb injury requiring surgery cut Hall’s shot with the ball club short, but that didn’t shake his determination.
Now comes Hall’s time to shine with a new opportunity against the Pirates. The Grapefruit League is starting, and Hall is ready to showcase to the world that a bat of his caliber belongs in the big, and the Pirates may just have stumbled upon a sleeper candidate who could make some noise at first base. Watch out, the world of baseball-Hall is showing up and showing out!
