One Prospect Off to Needed Strong Start at Pirates Spring Training

One of the benefits of spring training to a player coming off a down year is that it serves as blank slate, a turn of the page if you will.

Players who didn’t perform well the previous year get a chance to implement adjustments they made during the offseason to generate better results. Or they simply stick with the status quo and try and regain the previous form that got them to where they are.

One player who has been somewhat overlooked less than one year after getting added to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster is Tsung-Che Cheng.

Cheng seemed to have stalled out with Double-A Altoona, first in the second half of the 2023 season and then again in 2024.

The native of Taiwan played 126 games with the Curve last season but owned a mediocre .218/.320/.341 batting line. This came a year after he hit .251/.304/.352 in 66 games with Altoona after he was promoted from High-A Greensboro in 2023.

It was troubling to see a downward trend for the Pirates’ prospect in an extended stay in Altoona after having success in the lower levels of the minor leagues. His performance prior to reaching Double-A led to his emergence as one of the better position-player prospects in a pitching-heavy system.

But perhaps putting his recent lack of success pout of his mind, the 23-year-old is off to an excellent start this spring.

Cheng has appeared in a team-high 10 games during Grapefruit League play and has amassed a total of 17 plate appearances.

Albeit a small sample, Cheng has six hits in 15 at-bats including a pair of doubles and a home run. He’s driven in two runs and scored four times through the early going.

Though spring training statistics can’t be looked into too closely, it’s at least encouraging to see Cheng have this kind of performance as opposed to the alternative.

Cheng possesses tools that make him a high-floor player. He is a strong defender with a decent arm and is capable of playing multiple positions, primarily in the middle infield. He also possesses excellent speed and has stolen 92 bases in 397 career games.

A 5-foot-8, 180-pound frame limits his power to a degree, but Cheng’s speed can turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples. If he’s able to hit more consistently, Cheng’s ceiling can go from a bench player to more regular playing time.

Despite a lackluster showing in Double-A, Cheng was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis at the end of last season, and although it was also a small sample, it was a good start for Cheng at the highest level of the minor leagues.  In six  games, Cheng recorded six hits in 15 at-bats and walked four times against only two strikeouts.

2025 is going to be a big year for Cheng, whether he starts back in Altoona or the Pirates let him build on his end-of-year performance with Indianapolis.

Combining that performance and his hot start this spring, Cheng could be heading into the regular season with some needed momentum.