Cook embracing first base in first spring with Bucs

Billy Cook couldn’t help but smile in recognizing the rarity that he made his major- league debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates before attending his first big-league camp at spring training.

“It is kind of crazy,” Cook said. “I don’t know how uncommon it is, but I would think more people would go to camp first than debut.”

Cook isn’t complaining that he went in reverse order, given that the 6-foot-1, 200-pound right-handed hitter made a strong impression last September by showing off a strong arm in the outfield and the ability to play first base, a position of major need for the Pirates.

It was quite the transition for the 26-year-old Cook, who started 2024 buried in the Baltimore Orioles system at Double-A Norfolk and ended the season by homering at Yankee Stadium.

The Pirates acquired Cook for right-handed pitcher Patrick Reilly at the trade deadline last July and promoted him after he batted .276/.389/.486 with seven doubles, five homers and 21 RBIs in 31 games at Triple-A Indianapolis. Cook belted two doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs in 16 games with the Pirates last September.

“You definitely understand what it takes to succeed up there,” Cook said. “I’m finding out in spring right now that every little thing matters because you’re facing big-league arms every single day. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first week of spring or the last week of September, they’re good.

“Those small details that maybe you don’t pay attention to as much through the minors but then you get up there and see that every little thing matters. Once you work on those, it’ll translate.”

For Cook, that started with reducing swing and miss. He had 116 strikeouts in as many games in the minors, then had 19 strikeouts without drawing a walk in the majors for a 38.8% strikeout percentage. So Cook spent the offseason focusing on improving his patience at the plate and making more contact.

“When I made contact, it goes pretty hard off the bat. Just cutting down on the swing and miss, that’ll take care of the K rate,” Cook said. “Just walking, being more comfortable up there and taking the close pitches. I walked a lot in the minors but got up and didn’t walk at all.”

While Cook is batting .188 (3 for 16) in 11 Grapefruit League games, that he’s drawn more walks (seven) than strikeouts (five) is a positive sign that his approach is paying off.

“You want to help the team win in any way,” Cook said. “Sometimes, that’s two walks in a game. Just taking those instead of trying to do too much. Instead of being like, ‘I’m going to get an extra base hit,’ it’s just, get on. I can steal if I hit a single, and I can steal if I walk, so it’s the same thing. Patience was another thing I keyed in on. I think it will help flip-flop that walk rate and K rate and find a nice, little balance there.”

Cook also provided some pop Tuesday in the 9-1 win over the New York Yankees when he hit his first home run and recorded his first RBI of the spring. Cook led off the third inning by sending Cam Schlittler’s 1-1 sinker 369 feet over the right-field wall at LECOM Park.

The key for Cook might be his ability to play first base and all three outfield spots. A shortstop when he arrived at Pepperdine, Cook soon was moved to the outfield and found a home.

“I was never the natural infielder. I had to work just to get the ball in the glove and throw it over,” Cook said. “My junior year, I moved to center, and it was like I was born to play there. I just felt like I’d been waiting to play there my whole life. It comes more natural, with my reads, my speed, my tools, I think play the best out there.”

Drafted in the 10th round by the Orioles in 2021, Cook came up in a farm system that was ranked baseball’s best. Dating to his days at Pepperdine, he had dabbled at first base. Last year, Cook played there in two games at Bowie, 42 games at Norfolk, six at Indianapolis and four for the Pirates.

Now, Cook is in the mix with the likes of Jared Triolo, DJ Stewart, Darick Hall and Nick Yorke at first base as the Pirates seek to find a stopgap at the position until Spencer Horwitz returns from wrist surgery.

“He’s one of those guys, kind of like Tri, we know he can go over there and play there,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said, reminding that Cook’s “major-league debut was at first base.”

Cook has been doing extra work before games in the outfield and at first base, preparing to play wherever he’s needed in hopes that he starts the season in the same place he finished last year.

“I understand that’s my role and I’m embracing it, helping the team win,” Cook said. “Whether it’s in the outfield or at first, it doesn’t matter. Just be ready to play.”