Polanco Beefs Up During Offseason, Ready For First Full Major League Season
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN) - Gregory Polanco is beefing up.
The 23-year-old Pirates outfielder and projected superstar-to-be showed up to Pirate City at 235 pounds. That's 13 pounds heavier than his listed weight he entered last year at -- and 23 pounds heavier than he finished the 2014 season.
After playing Winter Ball during the 2013 offseason, Polanco grinded through Triple-A and then eventually a much-anticipated Major League debut in June. However, the then 22-year old began to succumb to the rigors of a full, high-stress 162-game schedule.
After captivating Pirates fans with a red-hot start to his MLB career, Polanco's production took plunge for the worse. The prized prospect headed back to the minors for a brief period of time, but couldn't be counted on during the Bucs stretch run to their second straight playoff appearance.
Many Pirates officials cited fatigue as one of the reasons Polanco struggled so mightily down the stretch, and this week in a conversation with 93.7 The Fan, so did Polanco.
"I was playing too much, too many games in a row," Polanco said to Pirates pre-game/post-game host Dan Zangrilli.
The Pirates forbid Polanco from participating in Winter Ball this offseason. Without playing baseball in the winter months, he channeled his energy towards a rigorous offseason workout.
"This year, I just prepared my body, gained some pounds," he said.
His Instagram feed shows him flipping tires and doing Battle Rope exercises.
There's a noticeable difference in Polanco's physique for anyone that saw what he looked like after the Pirates' Wild Card loss to the San Francisco Giants.
Also on his Instagram feed are "before" and "after" photos of the progress he has made.
"I feel so much better – it's not the same as last spring," Polanco continued. "Last year, I learned about the everyday battle [that is the 162-game Major League grind] and now I'm more confident this year."
Dan Zangrilli is the host of the Pirates pre-game and post-game shows before and after every Pirates game on 93.7 The Fan. You can follow Dan on twitter: @DanZangrilli
