Billy Cook #25

William Monroe Cook...Is a 2017 graduate of Lewis-Palmer High School in Monument, Colo. (52 miles south of Denver), where he was named the Gazette Player of the Year as a senior and earned all-state 4A honors three times...Attended Pepperdine University, where his 28 career home runs are tied for ninth all-time in program history...Hit .298 with three doubles, one triple, 17 home runs, 38 runs scored and 42 RBI as a senior in 2021 (his 17 home runs were tied for the third-most in a single season in program history)...Hit three HR and had nine RBI while playing in his 20th professional game with Delmarva on 9/4/21.

2024

Hit .275 (115-for-418) with 24 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 74 RBI and 25 stolen bases in 115 Minor League games...Began season with Norfolk (Orioles’ AAA) and went 4-for-8 in two games before being assigned to Bowie (Orioles’ AA) on 4/2...Hit .255 (13-for-51) with 10 RBI in 15 games with Bowie before returning to Norfolk on 4/24...Hit .438 (14-for-32) with a .513 OBP and 1.263 OPS in nine games from 5/9-18, raising his Triple-A average from .250 to .325... Homered in three straight games from 6/14-16...Was acquired from Baltimore on 7/30 and assigned to Indianapolis (was rated Baltimore’s No. 28 prospect by MLB Pipeline at the time he was acquired by the Pirates)...Connected for his second grand slam of the season on 8/13 vs. St. Paul...Reached base safely in 14 straight games from 8/9-27...Went 2-for-4 and hit his third grand slam of the season on 9/7 at Toledo... Was hitting .276 (29-for-105) with five home runs, 21 RBI, a .389 OBP and .875 OPS in 30 games with Indianapolis when he was selected to the big league roster on 9/8...Made his Major League debut as the starting first baseman on 9/8 vs. Washington and went 2-for-4 with two RBI; had a two-run double off Patrick Corbin in his first at-bat...Became the first Pirates first baseman with multiple hits in his MLB debut since Alex Hernandez on September 1, 2000...Connected off Matthew Liberatore for his first Major League home run (a three-run shot) and had a career-high three RBI on 9/18 at St. Louis...Hit safely in each of his last three games; homered at Yankee Stadium on 9/28...Made four starts in center field, four at first base, three in left field and three in right field while playing with the Pirates...Did not receive a walk in his 49 plate appearances in the big leagues.