A pregame breakthrough in the batting cage unlocked the rookie's power, fueling a dominant win in Pittsburgh.
Jim Jarvis rounded the bases for the first home run of his major league career Thursday afternoon, but by the time he reached the clubhouse, he seemed far more interested in talking about what happened before the game than the swing itself.
For the rookie shortstop, the biggest moment of the Atlanta Braves' 10-5 win over Pittsburgh started in the batting cage.
"I mean, unreal," Jarvis said postgame, via Braves Vision. "You should have seen the BP I was taking before the game. Me and Tim, DC and Eddie were in there working, and they got me a little feel that worked. So all the credit goes to the coaches."
Jarvis explained it as a minor change to his posture and hips, nothing more than finding a feel that had drifted away. Players often describe those tweaks as temporary, something that can disappear just as quickly as it arrives. On Thursday, though, it showed up almost immediately.
His 397-foot, two-run homer in the fourth inning came in just his 21st major league at-bat, helping extend Atlanta's lead to 5-2. It capped a 3-for-5 afternoon that also included a double and an impressive seventh-inning double play.
The offensive breakout grabbed attention, but manager Walt Weiss was just as impressed with what Jarvis did defensively.
"Great game by Jarvis," Weiss said, via Braves Vision. "First big league homer. A double play he turned was huge. It was a really athletic play. The ball jumped up on him. It was a bad hop. He stayed with it and turned it into a double play. That was a big spot in the game."
Weiss also echoed something others around the organization have noticed during Jarvis' first week in the majors.
"He's got a very calm game," Weiss said. "It's impressive."
That description lines up with how Jarvis approaches each pitch. He also admitted the adrenaline is still there, but said his focus is on keeping everything from speeding up around him.
"I try to just take deep breaths before each pitch," Jarvis said. "My heart rate's still going. I've got a lot of adrenaline out there. Just trying to slow my brain down and not let everything speed up on me."
That composure might be why Jarvis looked so different once the game ended.
While teammates treated his first homer as a milestone, Jarvis almost seemed more excited watching Mike Yastrzemski launch a ninth-inning grand slam. He laughed that he probably looked "like an idiot" celebrating because everyone else around him has been through moments like that before.
"I just get all fired up every time something happens," Jarvis said. "I've got to work on that."
Given the way Atlanta's dugout reacted to his first home run, there doesn't seem to be much reason to change that part of his game.
