Jose Tabata “worked out in the gym every day this winter”

It looks like we can add Pirates outfielder Jose Tabata to the ever-growing pool of players “in the best shape of their life.”

Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review writes that Tabata “has bulked up noticeably” during the offseason “and it’s muscle, not fat.”

One teammate called Tabata “a beast” after getting a look at him during a recent workout, to which Tabata responded: “Yeah, I’m bigger. I worked out in the gym every day this winter. I want to be bigger and stronger. This year, my idea is to hit more home runs.”

Adding more power is certainly a good idea for Tabata, who went deep just four times in 441 plate appearances as a rookie after homering a total of 29 times in 2,088 plate appearances as a minor leaguer. In fact, lack of power development is perhaps the main reason why his prospect stock dipped in recent years.

Of course, there’s also danger in a young player losing athleticism or altering his hitting mechanics, and the 22-year-old seems aware of those risks: “It’s a good feeling, but I have to be careful not to let it change my swing. Sometimes, when you want to hit home runs, your swing gets real long. I can’t let that happen.”