Tsung-Che

Cheng

Smith-Njigba, 24, showed off his tools during Grapefruit League play, hitting .200 (5-for-25) with three homers, five RBI and a pair of stolen bases. His time is coming soon, it just isn’t quite yet. Selby, on the other hand, struggled mightily during his spring action — registering an 11.25 ERA, 2.75 WHIP and a 4/4 K/BB ratio over his four frames. He should see action with the Pirates at some point during the 2024 season as well.

Cheng stumbled after moving up to Double-A last year, hitting .251/.304/.352 in 66 games, but the Pirates still added him to their 40-man roster after the season. He’s one of several potential long-term answers at second base for Pittsburgh, though it’s possible they’ll all get lapped by Termarr Johnson. Cheng shouldn’t be a factor this year.

The 22-year-old shortstop had a terrific 2023 season between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona, slashing .278/.353/.456 with 13 homers, 56 RBI, 26 stolen bases (in 38 attempts) and a 100/52 K/BB ratio across 535 plate appearances. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make his big league debut with the Pirates during the 2024 campaign.

That’s as good as a win for Pittsburgh. The 20-year-old Cheng is just 5-foot-7, but he launched his homer 394 feet off Anthony Castro today. As a left-handed hitter with a tiny strikeout rate and versatility throughout the infield, he’s a fun prospect, even if he is at least a couple of years away.