BRADENTON, Fla. -- There was a point during his meeting with Derek Shelton on Sunday when Jared Jones thought he might be on the receiving end of some less-than-ideal news.
“They started the meeting off saying I had thrown 120 innings the past couple years, and they want to do right by me and not extend me too much,” said Jones, a non-roster invitee who has been battling all spring for a spot on the Pirates’ opening day roster. “I was like, ‘Just rip the Band-Aid off, tell me I’m going to Triple-A.’”
That wasn’t the case.
What Jones thought was the worst-case scenario turned into him realizing his dream of becoming a big-league pitcher will soon come true.
“Looked over to Shelton, and he goes, ‘Congrats, man.’" Jones said. "I’m like, ‘What?’ He said, ‘You’re coming to Miami with us.’ I was like, ‘Oh, my God. It’s awesome.’”
An emotional Jones stood in front of his locker at LECOM Park Monday morning grinning from ear to ear as he spoke with reporters about getting the opportunity to join the major-league club for next week’s season-opening series against the Marlins.
“It means everything,” said Jones, the Pirates' No. 3 prospect. “I had tears in my eyes the whole day yesterday. I’m tearing up right now about it. It’s awesome. I love it."
Jones' opportunity wasn’t just given, though. It was earned.
He impressed each time he took the mound, consistently showing off a triple-digit fastball and an arsenal that features a nasty gyro slider he leaned on in his final spring start against the Red Sox on Saturday.
Through six appearances and three starts, Jones tossed 16 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run. He posted 15 strikeouts and eight walks while holding opposing hitters to a .167 batting average.
"Just like all of you saw, he performed really well in spring training," Ben Cherington said Monday. "More than the surface performance, though, continued progress in the work he was doing between starts, coming into the game, in terms of execution, usage of all of his pitches. Obviously we know the competitor. Believe in him. And believe he makes our team better by being on it to start the season."
Throughout the spring, Jones said he was most proud of his ability to compete in high leverage situations. While he found ways to consistently shut down opposing offenses, including the Braves’ A-squad in a start in which he threw four scoreless innings on March 16, the success didn’t always come easy.
In that final outing against Boston, Jones had to overcome giving up four hits and four walks. Still, he managed to make it through five strong innings to put an exclamation point on a seemingly career-changing spring.
“[The high-leverage situations] didn’t get the most of me, and I feel like that was a big steppingstone for me,” Jones said. “I’m a competitor, man. That’s just who I am on the mound. I’m the fiery little guy. That’s what I like to call myself.”
Jones spent the 2023 season between Class AA Altoona and Class AAA Indianapolis. In 26 total appearances and 25 starts, he went 5-9 with a 3.85 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. He collected 146 strikeouts with 50 walks in 126 1/3 innings and limited opposing hitters to a .227 average.
"I think what went into the decision is he deserved it," Shelton said. "He put himself on the team. We had some other guys that had really good springs, and Jared just pitched his way onto the team, and we're very excited about that."
Jones gets to share his first opening day with six other first-timers, including his close friend, Henry Davis, who had a sample of big-league action after a June promotion last year. He hit .213/.302/.351 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs in 62 games
This spring, with questions surrounding his ability to handle things behind the plate, Davis shined.
He received nothing but positive feedback from the pitchers he worked with and he provided offensive production in the process, slashing .310/.400/.667 with four homers and 12 RBIs in 16 games.
"It’s not over now," Davis said. "It’s always gotta be something that’s earned. I need to continue to prove that I can help the team win every day."
The other five rewarded with opening day roster spots for the first time in their careers were Alika Williams, Jared Triolo, Luis Ortiz, Hunter Stratton and Ryder Ryan.
Williams will provide middle infield depth off the bench, while Triolo is the starting second baseman. Shelton said Ortiz will be used in a bulk role out of the bullpen where he'll be joined by two relievers in Stratton and Ryan.
"I think you can see and feel the excitement from everybody that's having their first opening day," Triolo said. "We're all excited for each other."
Making the team out of camp was extra special for Ryan, who made his major-league debut with the Mariners in August before being designated for assignment during the offseason.
The Pirates were the first team to reach out and give Ryan an opportunity he was determined to take advantage of.
"I’ve always had that drive of trying to get to the big leagues," Ryan said. "You have to stick to that. That’s the hardest part -- sticking there. I want to stick there with this team. I want to help them win ballgames. Like Shelty said, he wants to win ballgames. That’s the plan."
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