PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pirates introduce a new player Monday night as first baseman John Nogowski bats fifth against the Braves in his first game since being acquired from St. Louis.
"Anytime you have eyes on you for the first time you want to show them what you can do right off the bat," Nogowski said Monday. "There is plenty of pressure playing this game whether it's your first impression or you've been here for 4-5 years. The big thing for me is to be productive with every at bat. If I'm productive, they are going to find a spot for me."
It's an offense that can use production, last in the majors in hits, runs and homers. Nogowski hit .333 with the Cardinals in Grapefruit League games with 2 HR and 12 RBI with a .477 on-base percentage.
"It was a tough year this year," Nogowski said about 2021. "I had an unbelievable Spring Training. Made the team out of camp. That was the exact player I wanted to be, got hit on the hand in Miami during the second series of the year and fractured my hand in two places."
After a slow recovery, the 6', 245-pound Nogowski became mostly a pinch-hitter with St. Louis and struggled in that role. The right-handed hitter went 1 for 17 and shuttled between AAA and MLB four times before eventually designated for assignment on June 28. The Pirates bought his contract from the Cardinals and now he gets a shot at first with Colin Moran injured.
"I felt great my last couple of weeks swinging," Nogowski said. "I'm just excited to come here and get the opportunity to show what I can do. Get more than one at bat against a tough righty reliever at times. Come in and get some starts-play great defense, run bases, do all of that stuff that makes me valuable."
He's talked to Moran about the opportunity currently there at first. He says he worked hard this Spring Training, also played some Winter Ball games in left and right field to become more versatile.
Hitting .307 with more walks than strikeouts his last year at Florida State, Nogowski was a 34th round pick by the A's in 2014. He showed promise in the hitter-friendly AAA Pacific Coast League in 2019 hitting 15 home runs, driving in 75 while batting .295 with a .413 on-base percentage. Despite leaving a better team for a struggling Pirates group, Nogowski is just thankful for a shot.
"I was super excited to come over here and just get an opportunity," Nogowski said. "It was a pretty cool moment, I was with my girlfriend and my parents. To be able to tell them, 'hey we are going to go over here and get an opportunity to play'. It was super exciting."
It's been a year of the Pirates giving guys opportunities, Nogowski is the latest to see if he can make it work.
