Acquired at the deadline, Pirates' Billy Cook and Nick Yorke are enjoying many big-league firsts together

Noah Hiles / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

ST. LOUIS — It goes without saying that Pirates fans have had little to cheer for over the past two months.

After buying at this year’s trade deadline, the once competitive club fell apart, melting all the way down to last place in the NL Central.

As the days fly by in September, young players on Derek Shelton’s roster are now looking to show why they should be viewed as potential impact pieces for the 2025 campaign. Leading the charge on that front are Billy Cook and Nick Yorke, a pair of recently acquired rookies who, together, have experienced notable success since arriving at their new organization.

Cook and Yorke have gone through their share of firsts together over the past few months. In late July, both were traded for the first time in their respective careers, Cook coming over from the Orioles and Yorke from the Red Sox. Upon arrival at their new organization, the two quickly became friends.

“Billy is awesome,” Yorke told the Post-Gazette last weekend, prior to his big league promotion. “He’s one of the best people I’ve ever met. I played against him last year in Double-A when he was with the Orioles, and I was with the Red Sox. We were talking a little bit when I was playing second when he hit a double. Then, we end up getting traded within a day of each other. He reached out right away.”

“We stick together, maybe a little too much sometimes in the locker room,” Cook said. “But, he's definitely a great guy to hang around. I'm excited to be a teammate with him for a long time."

On Sept. 8, Cook was promoted to the big leagues after just 30 games in Triple-A Indianapolis. After receiving the call about his promotion, it was Yorke who drove him to the airport to pick up his rental car. Just eight days later, Yorke got his call to the show. Waiting to greet him in St. Louis were many new faces, along with one familiar friend.

“He was fortunate he got to do it in front of the home crowd in Pittsburgh, but he was just saying to enjoy the moment, and everything you’ve worked for was for today, making it to the big leagues,” Yorke said Monday. “Just enjoy the moment, don’t try to get too big, don’t let the moment get the best of you and try to enjoy it with your family.”

"It's funny, when they walked onto the field, they walked onto the field together, because they had been teammates,” Shelton added later that day. “It's nice to be able to get these guys up, get them some at-bats and get them around their teammates."

On Tuesday, Yorke tallied his first big league hit, just 11 days after Cook did the same. The following evening, Cook smashed his first major league homer, a three-run shot to right field. On base was Yorke, who came around to score his first major league run.

“That’s very encouraging for us,” Shelton said Wednesday evening. “These are guys we acquired and, we’ve said, we’re going to get a look at over the last 10 days. Both of them had good nights tonight.”

With the 2024 season nearly over, Cook and Yorke serve as intriguing roster options heading into the offseason. Acquired at the deadline to provide additional, big-league-ready depth, both have proven to be versatile defenders and, at least in Triple-A, capable hitters. From the beginning, the duo was viewed as a long-term project. And while their focus remains in the present, both are also excited to contribute in the years to come.

“We have a lot of key parts that are gonna fit well next year,” Cook said. “I think you're getting a taste of that right now. The experience that the younger guys can get right now, we're gonna play Milwaukee next week, and they're going to be a team we'll contend with going forward.

“Next year, that's the team to beat: them and the Cardinals. Just making sure that everybody is getting the experience so we're sure that we'll have the vet guys and the young guys, and you won't be able to tell the difference. That's what it takes to be a good team."