Around the Curve | Pichardo Makes Strong First Impression With Pirates
Being traded is an uprooting experience for any player. At first, the thought of “Why does the team who believed in me and signed me want to get rid of me?” naturally crosses the mind at some point. But as Curve infielder Kervin Picahrdo was told on the way out
Being traded is an uprooting experience for any player. At first, the thought of “Why does the team who believed in me and signed me want to get rid of me?” naturally crosses the mind at some point. But as Curve infielder Kervin Picahrdo was told on the way out the door from the San Diego Padres to the Pittsburgh Pirates this March by Fort Wayne TinCaps Broadcaster John Nolan, that being traded means that your wanted in this game. And that’s a good thing.
For Kervin Pichardo, born in the Bronx, NY and then moved to the Dominican Republic in his teens, a change of scenery is nothing new. After signing with the Phillies in June of 2019, Pichardo began his career in the Dominican Summer League and climbed their minor league system in his first three seasons. In 2022, he was getting set to head out to Jersey Shore, the Phillies High-A affiliate, when a call came. He’d been traded to the San Diego Padres in exchange for RHP James Norwood. Pichardo bounced between High-A Fort Wayne, Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso in the Padres minor league system in 2022 and showed his value with a consistent approach at the plate, a strong arm in the field and an overall positive demeanor that earned him a reputation as one of the organization’s most popular players.
To start the 2023 campaign, Pichardo found himself back in High-A Fort Wayne playing behind a loaded TinCaps roster highlighted by SS Jackson Merrill. After hitting just .179 in 36 games with the TinCaps and just .205 in 15 games at Double-A through July 20th Pichardo emerged from the All-Star break with more opportunities. The San Diego Padres had held internal conversations about Pichardo and thought maybe he could put his strong arm to use on the mound. But, with Jackson Merrill’s promotion to Double-A San Antonio on July 21, the Padres needed Pichardo to play shortstop and second base on an everyday basis at High-A. And from there, Pichardo’s bat took off, batting .362 with five doubles, six homers and 21 runs batted in in 34 games to finish the season. Pichardo, at just 21 years old, had shown he could hold his own at the plate on an everyday basis after a pair of uneven seasons in the Padres system.
As the calendar turned to the 2024 campaign, Pichardo readied himself to start on Opening Day with Fort Wayne when the phone rang again. This time, he had been traded to the Pirates; in exchange for LHP Jackson Wolf who had pitched for Altoona in 2023. Pichardo left media day at Fort Wayne and traveled to Altoona where he met 27 new teammates and saw a familiar face; Curve Manager Robby Hammock.
“He was our third base coach in Triple-A, in 2022, and while we didn’t have a very close relationship there was such a respect there,” Pichardo shared with Curve broadcaster Preston Shoemaker prior to a home game against the Akron RubberDucks in late-June.
Slotted into the Curve’s Opening Day lineup at second base in Akron, Pichardo began his Curve career 0-for-15 at the plate until he stepped to the plate in the team’s home opener on Tuesday, April 8 against Harrisburg. With the game tied at seven in the tenth, Pichardo stepped into the box with two outs and smacked a single into left field to score Francisco Acuna from third and send the Curve to an 8-7 win on Opening Day.
“It felt great, to come through with the win that day,” Pichardo said with a big smile.
And while Pichardo has had a bit of an up-and-down campaign at the plate, batting .202 in May, he’s certainly found his stride as the weather heated up in June. Pichardo batted .314/.344/.407 with two doubles, two homes and ten runs batted in, and that included a season-long 12-game hit streak.
*This story was printed in Volume 25 Issue 8 of the Curve Chronicle for the July 9-14 homestand.*
How clubs across Minor League Baseball are celebrating PLAY BALL Weekend
PLAY BALL Weekend is almost here, and Minor League clubs have put together an exciting calendar of events to celebrate MLB’s youth engagement initiative. Some clubs are hosting youth clinics or other events in their home ballparks while others are bringing the joy of baseball and softball into the local
Here are the weirdest plays and stats from MiLB in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Podcast features first-base promotions for Caglianone, Eldridge
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Cubs' Rojas, Mets' Tong headline May's Minor League Players of the Month
Minor League Baseball announced the Player and Pitcher of the Month Award winners for May in Major League Baseball’s player development system.
Minor League Baseball, Joe Torre Safe At Home partnership enters ninth year
For the ninth year, Minor League Baseball and Joe Torre Safe At Home have teamed up to raise awareness about violence and abuse and to inspire fans of all ages to join them in SAH’s critical work. This year, 63 MiLB teams will participate in an in-ballpark initiative from May
MiLB podcast discusses Anthony, Caglianone at Triple-A
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
These are the greatest Minor League promos happening in June
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
New playoff format coming to 2025 Dominican Summer League
Minor League Baseball announced the 2025 Dominican Summer League (DSL) season will begin June 2 with Opening Day festivities taking place at the Boston Red Sox Academy in Guerra. The 2025 campaign will also see the introduction of the DSL Cup, a new playoff format that will see 16 DSL
Debating best Minor League home caps on podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
The Omaha Storm Chasers' 'Take Meow-t' cat night included a Litter Box Sundae
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Boston's Triple-A affiliate throws birthday bash for Roman Anthony
With all the hype that has surrounded Roman Anthony over the past two seasons, it’s easy to forget how young he really is. MLB's No. 1 prospect played 70 games at the highest level of the Minors before he could order a beer. But he can now. Roman Anthony turned
Friendly foes, 2024 first-rounders Moore and Caglianone trade first Triple-A homers
For years, Christian Moore and Jac Caglianone laced up their cleats against one another in the SEC. A rivalry that spanned Florida, Tennessee and other landmarks across the South moved to Salt Lake City this week as the Royals and Angels' top prospects got simultaneous Triple-A promotions. So it was
Phillies' Moore, Fausnaught join MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Red Sox prospect rips double THROUGH Fenway-esque scoreboard
Red Sox No. 4 prospect Franklin Arias, an infielder for High-A Greenville, REALLY didn’t want to let visiting Asheville score any runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday night. With runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth, Arias showed he apparently held
April's hottest hitting prospects -- one for each organization
The Minor League season is a month old and several of the game's best hitting prospects are off to fast starts. Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is tearing up Triple-A (just like he did at the end of last year), Padres shortstop Leo De Vries is leading the High-A Midwest
Check out the best -- and wackiest -- Minor League promos happening in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Orioles' Honeycutt joins The Show Before the Show
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
MiLB podcast coming LIVE to a Somerset this June
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
New ballparks highlight 2025 MiLB road trip stops
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Minor League Baseball partners with TruGreen
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- TruGreen, the nation's leading lawn care treatment provider, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Minor League Baseball that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called
Podcast explains why the Syracuse Mets are looking for Jim Morrison
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Dash im-prom-tu promo and Mets' Suero joins the podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minor League Baseball partners with Circle K
Minor League Baseball announced a new national partnership with Circle K, which will see the convenience store giant become the “Official Convenience Store of Minor League Baseball.” During the 2025 season, the Circle K brand will be integrated into the MiLB in-stadium experience through in-game video board assets at most
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other