Kevin Newman finishes spring training with .606 batting average as Pirates tie Twins

Kevin Newman didn’t know which was better, finishing with the best batting average in spring training history or never striking out in 39 plate appearances over 13 Grapefruit League games.

The Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop didn’t want to choose.

“I’ll take both of them, honestly,” said Newman, who batted an astronomical .606 (20 for 33). “Pretty cool. Definitely a fun spring. Probably the hottest streak I’ve ever had, which is a lot of fun, but excited for the regular season, definitely a new slate, so looking to carry it into here.”

Newman broke the spring training record set Todd Linden of the Oakland A’s (.586) in 2008, two years after spring training statistics became offical.

The Pirates went into their Grapefruit League finale looking to reach .500 but instead finished spring training with a 1-1 tie with the Minnesota Twins in seven innings Tuesday afternoon at CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Fla., to finish 13-14-2.

Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a solo home run in the top of the first, but Max Kepler’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly tied it in the bottom of the inning. JT Brubaker allowed one run on one hit and two walks while striking out four in five innings.

Newman was the story of spring training for the Pirates, winning a three-way competition with Erik Gonzalez and Cole Tucker for the starting job at shortstop. After losing his starting job last season, when he batted .224 and committed eight errors, he adjusted his stance at the plate and worked on improving his first step in the field.

Newman was so successful that teammates were hoping his good luck would rub off. Newman said infielder Wilmer Difo even brushed up against his shoulder on the bench, trying to borrow some good juju. Newman’s batting average didn’t dip below .700 until the final week, when he went hitless over his final two games.

Not that he ever imagined he could keep up his torrid pace at the plate.

“You’re right, it’s just spring,” Newman said. “But I’m never going to be mad about getting some hits. I think any hitter will take that, so definitely just happy with the way things went. In terms of the highest average, I don’t know if that is the case or not, but it’d be pretty cool if it was.”

Hayes led the Pirates with 23 hits while batting .431 as he hit safely in 15 of 17 games this spring. Adam Frazier matched Hayes with six doubles and two home runs while hitting .431 (22 of 51). Bryan Reynolds and Todd Frazier tied for the team lead in home runs with three apiece, and Gregory Polanco led the Pirates with 10 RBIs.

Newman knows the Pirates are going to have to find ways to manufacture runs after finishing at or near the bottom of nearly every offensive statistical category last season, when they had baseball’s worst record at 19-41. The Pirates are projected by many to lose more than 100 games and finish last in the NL Central once again.

“Last year, obviously, was a strange year. We kind of put it in our rearview mirror, just kind of flushed it,” Newman said. “We’re not listening to what anyone is saying, honestly. With how competitive we’ve been this spring, the vibe in the clubhouse and unity we have, we’re really taking that and going day by day with it. We’re not listening to any external predictions and that sort of stuff. We’re going out there to compete, and I think this spring was a good example of how we can compete this upcoming year.”