In the System: Rodriguez after huge season: 'I want more'

ST. LOUIS -- The Pirates' minor-league season came to a close Wednesday night when Class AAA Indianapolis lost to Columbus.

And it's almost fitting that the final run of the minor-league season came off the bat of Endy Rodriguez:

On Tuesday, we'll announce our final top 10 rankings for the season, along with awards for the season.

But why delay the inevitable for who the minor-league player of the year is? There can be no other choice than Rodriguez.

In 125 games across Greensboro, Altoona and Indianapolis, Rodriguez hit .323 with 25 home runs, 95 RBIs, 39 doubles and a .997 OPS, all while striking out at a sub-20% clip. He entered the year as a top 10 prospect in the Pirates' system, but finished it as one of the top 100 prospects in baseball, according to Baseball America and MLB Pipeline.

It was an incredible season, but Rodriguez thinks he can do more.

“I don’t know if I have [reached my potential]," Rodriguez told me in Altoona just before the Curve's season ended. "I know it’s a really good year, but I want more. I don’t think it’s a good year. I want more.”

Rordriguez was acquired in the Joe Musgrove trade, with the Pirates sending Padres left-hander Joey Lucchesi to the Mets for the catcher to complete the three-team deal. At the time of the trade, Lucchesi was a young, controllable pitcher, the type of player most teams would target in a trade like this. However, they instead gambled on a Class A catcher who has grown into a power stroke.

“He’s a dream, man," Curve manager Kieran Mattison said. "It’s fun to watch. That kid plays above every moment. He’s a gamer.”

Rodriguez showed some of his potential last year when he was named the Class Low-A Southeast League MVP, but he rose from the lowest level of full-season minor-league ball to the highest without so much as a speed bump along the way. In hitter-friendly Greensboro, he recorded a .936 OPS. In 31 games in Altoona, a 1.120 OPS. And while it was just a cameo to get more reps at the end of the season, he went 10-for-22 (.455) with Indianapolis.

“I knew it would happen soon because I play hard," Rodriguez said. "God gave me a lot of talent. I knew it was going to happen some day in my career.”

Rodriguez also helped his cause with a slight tweak to his hand placement, giving him a better swing path to the ball. That resulted in more fly balls and line drives, many of which went for extra bases.

"Stay short, on top of the ball," is how he explained it. "Be more on the time.”

Part of the breakout isn't going to show up on the scorecard, as Rodriguez has worked to become a better catcher.

Considering the Pirates also have former No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis in the upper-levels of the system, it's a good problem to have. Both got reps at other positions when they were in Altoona, though the Pirates want to keep both behind the plate.

"We think they're both catchers and we believe they're both catchers and we think they'll be catchers in the big leagues," Ben Cherington said earlier this month.

Last year, the Pirates rewarded two of their top performing prospects -- Oneil Cruz and Roansy Contreras -- with promotions to the majors for the final weekend of the season. In his most recent radio show on 93.7 The Fan Sunday, Cherington said the Pirates did not have plans at that time to call up another prospect to the majors this year.

So even if it doesn't happen this year, Rodriguez will be ready for an almost inevitable call in 2023.

“I know if they call me [up], there’s going to be a lot of pressure because it’s hard," Rodriguez said. "But I’m ready. I’m ready for the call. I’m ready to play baseball. I’m ready to help my team.”

Our final rankings of the 2022 season will be in Tuesday's feature.