Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Joey Bart was excited, sure, about his first start ever in major league camp. He was a lot more excited about his buddy joining him in the lineup, though.
“I’m so happy about that. I’m excited, I miss [Heliot Ramos] here big time,” Bart said Friday before the catcher and outfielder found their ways into the starting lineup at Scottsdale Stadium against the Rockies.
The future of the Giants — the Giants hope at least — were together in High-A San Jose and then Double-A Richmond last season, though the center fielder Ramos was held to minor league camp. The Giants want him getting consistent at-bats, while Bart was fast-tracked because of the need for catchers and the ability to connect with pitchers.
The second half of the split-squad day featured the 23-year-old Bart installed as the No. 2 hitter and Ramos, playing right, batting ninth. Outfielder Jairo Pomares, the team’s 14th-ranked prospect, also was up and expected to sub in, but the largest piece of the potential future missing may not be missing all spring.
Marco Luciano, an 18-year-old ranked by some as the organization’s best prospect, is still in minor league camp. There’s a possibility that won’t last the whole season, though.
“I hope so,” Gabe Kapler said, asked if he would get a look at major league camp. “I don’t know. That’s a call that we’ll make collaboratively as a team. We get a chance to see Luciano at some point, that would be fantastic. If the timing isn’t right for him to get a look in this major league camp, it’ll be another year.”
For the moment, fans could get excited by the prospects who would be on the field. Bart would be catching pitches from Johnny Cueto, which could be challenging after just one or two bullpen sessions together, Bart said.
“The hard part is figuring out what he wants to throw because I’ve never caught him,” Bart said. ” …It can be [challenging] when he does all the shimmying, the quick-pitch stuff. It’s going to be a little bit tougher, but we’ll be all right.”
The Giants beat the Royals in the afternoon split-squad game, 3-1.
Dereck Rodriguez continued the team’s solid starting pitching with two scoreless innings, and Kapler called Andrew Suarez’s work “the most notable performance.” Suarez struck out four in two perfect innings.
Darin Ruf hit his first home run of camp — notably off a lefty, against whom the righty hitter specializes.
“Crushed it to right field,” Kapler said.
