It’s July 12, day two of the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft.
Anticipation fills the air as Bily Cook, former Pepperdine Baseball infielder (’18-’21) and current Pittsburgh Pirates IF/outfielder, eagerly awaits for his name to be called.
“This was the first year that they had a 20-round draft. The year before, it was five because of COVID-19, and then before that, it was 40 rounds,” Cook said. “Little different draft than what I had heard about in the past, but basically, we were just sitting around waiting to see who would call.”
Cook was with his family that day, and through all his triumphs and tribulations, they believed someone would take a chance on him. His agent was hard at work on his computer, taking phone calls and sending emails to interested teams wanting Cook’s services.
But for Cook, he knew that nothing was certain.
“Nothing is finalized until that pick comes across the TV,” Cook said. “The Orioles were a team that was interested, and then my name came up, and it was time to celebrate because it was official.”
Life as a Wave
Cook spent all four years at Pepperdine and left his mark on the field with his stellar play. In his career, Cook played in 122 games, starting 109, and is currently tied for ninth in home runs all-time with 26.
He hit at a .286 clip with 118 base knocks, 18 doubles and seven triples, all while driving in 90 runs and scoring 85. He is the definition of a five-tool player, swiping 14 bags to go on top of his already impressive resume, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
During his journey as a Wave, Cook said two people were key in his growth as a ballplayer: Rick Hirtensteiner, former Pepperdine Baseball Head Coach and Director of Baseball Operations at Oaks Christian High School, and Danny Worth, former Pepperdine Baseball assistant coach.
“They taught me a lot of perseverance,” Cook said. “Figuring out how to attack different pitchers, learning how to play different positions, which has helped me a lot. Then, the mental side, just figuring out how to enjoy it every single day because it’s baseball; there’s ups and downs.”
Both Hirtensteiner and Worth said Cook was everything you wanted in a player; from his approach, preparation, mentality and, most importantly, his toughness. Hirtensteiner said he was the one who went to recruit Cook at his high school in Colorado, and the day he went to see him, it was snowing.
“I went to his game, and he was out playing shortstop with no sleeves on and making it look like it was nothing,” Hirtensteiner said. “That immediately was some toughness in him and, just watching him play, [he’s] super athletic, could really move well and explosive.”
Worth said Cook was a dream to coach. Cook cared and showed passion, taking it upon himself to improve each and every day.
“Good players like him, they practice with that deliberate, intense and detailed fashion every day. So I saw that right away,” Worth said. “I remember as a freshman, he was just engaged, he cared about everything we did, and players like him showed that with every rep they took in practice.”
Off the diamond, they said Cook was a delight to be around. His personality was fun, and he was a great person overall.
“He cared to be a good person,” Worth said. “Just a good guy that you trust bringing home to my own kids or family, or having them over for a barbecue.”
Worth is a former Major Leaguer of his own, having played for six years split between the Detroit Tigers (’10-’14) and Houston Astros (’16). He served as the hitting coach for Pepperdine Baseball under Hirtensteiner, and Cook said much of the success he displayed was due to the influence, knowledge and lessons that Worth provided him.
From direct mechanical work to discussing long-term and short-term goals and everything in between, Worth was always available when Cook needed him. One area that Worth said he drilled into Cook was how to balance his mental approach to the game.
“I remember talking to him a lot about that, just baseball is a game of failure, and you have to deal with it,” Worth said. “The best guys can deal with it and move on, and they have a short memory.”
Besides the coaching staff, Cook said his time as a Wave was filled with amazing teammates who also cared about not only making themselves better, but making the team better. The culture of Pepperdine Baseball allowed him to thrive, he said.
“I would give all of them credit for that because everybody held each other accountable,” Cook said. “You go in with the understanding [that] not everybody there is going to play professionally, but everybody is there to help the team win. Everybody’s role might be a little different, but the goal was the same.”
Cook in the Minors
The Baltimore Orioles snagged Cook in the 10th Round with the 287th overall pick. He said that feeling was great, knowing all his hard work finally paid off, but to him, it was just one goal on a long list he wants to achieve.
“At least for me, you go to college with the intent of getting better to play at that next level, and this is a necessary step to get there, so definitely [felt] accomplished in that sense,” Cook said. “But then it was kind of like, ‘All right, well, now, [my goal’s] going to happen. How am I going to move on to the next goal?'”
He said he allowed himself to celebrate for a little while but then immediately determined his next goal — to be an everyday major leaguer. It’s no longer about being a college athlete; it’s about solely being an athlete, 24/7.
Cook split his first year of professional baseball between Rookie Ball and Low-A, with a slash line of .263/.328/.491 (AVG/OBP/SLG) and an OPS of .819. From there, he climbed the minors with relative ease, jumping from High A to Double-A between 2022 and 2023 and finally reaching Triple-A during the 2024 season, according to the MLB.
Cook’s success was no surprise to him. He said he always knew he had Major League potential, and no one had to tell him.
“They didn’t have to tell me that, I kind of understood it,” Cook said. “When you have the talent, guys will tell you, but the results kind of speak for itself.”
In 2024, Cook was batting .279 with a slugging percentage of .485 for the Norfolk Tides, the Orioles‘ Triple-A minor league affiliate. He had 11 homers and 15 doubles, good for 43 RBIs — good for the No. 28 prospect in their farm system per MLB Pipeline.
He was ready for the majors, but unfortunately for Cook, he was in the Orioles’ farm system, which is known to be stacked with top, MLB-ready prospects. He was caught in a logjam.
Fortunately for Cook, the MLB Trade Deadline created an opening. On July 30, the Orioles traded Cook to the Pirates for minor league right-handed pitcher Patrick Reilly.
Cook was mid-game when the trade happened. The game was in extra innings, and the Orioles had just made a splash move earlier in the day, landing OF Eloy Jimenez from the Chicago White Sox.
“Everybody on the team thought that was it; the Orioles were done with their trade deadline, and then all of a sudden, I get taken off the field,” Cook said. ” I was like, ‘No way. I just got traded,’ it was either traded or called up.”
Following the trade, he picked up right where he left off, batting .276 and slugging .486 for the Pirates Triple-A affiliates Indianapolis Indians. After just 30 games, the Pirates saw the potential Cook saw in himself, and Pittsburgh made the call to bring Cook up to the majors.
“Our manager called me, tells me I’m getting promoted,” Cook said. “I had to go pack all my stuff up, call my parents, let them know, ‘Hey! I got a game tomorrow that I’m going to be playing in, and hopefully, you guys can make it out.'”
He soaked in and appreciated the moment when it happened, but he said he always focuses on the next big thing.
“You just get really excited, and then again, it’s like, okay, well, here’s the moment that I’ve been working for,” Cook said. “‘How can I perform?’ And then after that, it’s now, ‘How do I do this every day?'”
Cook in the Majors
Cook made his Major League debut Sept. 8 against the Washington Nationals at PNC Park. In four plate appearances, Cook went 2-4 with a ground-rule double as his first Major League hit, a base knock and his first two career RBIs.
The Pirates beat the Nationals 7-3, with Cook ending the day with a sparkling catch at first base.
“It’s nice to get the first one out of the way, but you can’t go chasing hits, you got to do what you’ve always done,” Cook said. “Just because you get up doesn’t mean you change everything you know, whatever got you there is going to be what keeps you there.”
He ended the year with the squad getting 16 games of experience under his belt. Across those 16 games, Cook held a .224 batting average and a .449 slugging, with three homers, two doubles and eight RBIs, according to the MLB.
Cook said the numbers could’ve been better, but the experience he gained will help him in his career.
“It’s more of a mindset thing, and that was kind of what helped me through the season,” Cook said. “That last month up there again, there’s ups and downs if you go look back at it. But did I learn a lot? Yes. And is that gonna help me going into next year? Absolutely.”
He is officially in the Major Leagues, and Cook knows he has the ability to be an everyday ballplayer. His coaches echoed this belief, and Worth said having a good mindset is the key.
“You can’t get there and just be happy that you made it,” Worth said. “You can’t have a survival instinct either, where you think that it’s always an uphill battle.”
Worth said Cook had a competitive mindset, pushing people around him to get better. But, the majors are a different level, it’s the best of the best, and Cook will need to constantly adjust to stay successful.
“He certainly has all the tools, he has the makeup, he has the passion, I think he has the right head space where he knows he always has to improve,” Worth said.
With another goal checked off his list, Cook is looking ahead to what he can achieve next. He said he takes it one year at a time, but the ultimate goal is stay in the majors for the rest of his life, and to help a team win the World Series.
“That’s really the main goal of big leaguers, help your team win and figure out what you need to do to do that,” Cook said. “Takes a lot of dedication and hard work being a good teammate, but I’m sure, and hopefully, I’ll get to experience one day celebrating a World Series championship.”
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