‘Phantom ballplayer’ no more, Maggi a big leaguer after 13 years
PITTSBURGH — After 13 seasons, 1,154 video games and 4,494 plate appearances within the Minor Leagues, Drew Maggi lastly received his at-bat.
In the Pirates’ 8-1 win on a brisk Wednesday night time at PNC Park, the 33-year-old journeyman stepped right into a Major League batter’s field for the primary time in his profession. Maggi could have struck out on 4 pitches, however following greater than a decade of ready, he lastly had his second.
The crowd at PNC Park immediately understood the importance, rising to their toes and showering him with a spherical of applause. Chants of “Maggi!” broke out all through the stadium. Maggi wasted no time providing on the first large league pitch he noticed, launching a ball foul down the left-field line. When he received dinged for a pitch timer violation, the gang responded with boos. The Dodgers’ Alex Vesia then received Maggi to chase a low-and-inside slider that bounced within the grime, however the followers in attendance confirmed their appreciation regardless with one other spherical of applause.
When the Pirates positioned outfielder Bryan Reynolds, who simply signed an eight-year, $106.75 million extension, on the bereavement checklist on Sunday, the staff chosen Maggi’s contract from Double-A Altoona. It was a full circle second for Maggi because the journeyman was drafted by Pittsburgh within the fifteenth spherical of the 2010 MLB Draft and spent the primary six years of his profession within the system earlier than departing. After 13 seasons within the Minor Leagues with six totally different organizations, Maggi was lastly a Pirate. That callup, nonetheless, wasn’t his first.
When an damage opened up a roster spot, Maggi, who was on Minnesota’s taxi squad in 2021, was promoted to the large league membership. He had been ready for the second for greater than a decade. All that was left was to take the sector, to step into the batter’s field and play.
He spent his first recreation with Minnesota on the bench and rode the pine in his second recreation, too. On Sept. 20, the Twins optioned Maggi to Triple-A St. Paul, the place he spent the rest of the season.
When Maggi received promoted with out enjoying a recreation, he turned what’s generally known as a “phantom ballplayer,” somebody who has been on a roster however didn’t have a possibility to really play. He’s worn that title for a year-and-a-half. On Wednesday, he shed that title for good.
The seeds of this second have been planted final yr when, in August, the Pirates acquired Maggi from the Phillies for money concerns. Maggi spent the latter half of ‘22 with Triple-A Indianapolis, then re-signed with the Pirates this previous offseason and acquired an invite to Spring Training, the place he hit a blistering .344/.417/.688 with three house runs and 9 RBIs.
Maggi didn’t play in his first two video games up with the staff because of the shut nature of each video games — a 2-0 win towards the Reds on Sunday and an 8-7 loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday — however after the Pirates plated 5 runs within the backside of the seventh inning Wednesday to push their result in eight runs, supervisor Derek Shelton had the proper alternative to name Maggi’s identify.
