What they want to get out of this spring is as different as their haircuts or their choice in entertainment. Piscotty has focused on defense, Grichuk offense.

Piscotty has been told to keep his first baseman’s glove handy in case he’s needed at that position. He focused his offseason workouts in Palo Alto, Calif., on sprints and explosiveness so he could have better jumps and better acceleration on fly balls.

Grichuk spent his winter working on his swing and adding a slight lift to his front foot, or what he calls a “baby kick.” He wanted to add something to his swing that gave him more time to judge the pitch before lashing at it. He turned to a teammate for help. Piscotty, of course.

Grichuk had his friend fly down to the Houston area this winter so he could watch his swing, borrow from it, and get better at making contact, a trait at which Piscotty excels. The swing Piscotty built with a dash of Grichuk, Grichuk now wanted to watch so he could add a pinch of Piscotty to his.

This is why they’re friends.

Their differences match. Their opportunity this spring does, too.

“I remember in Triple-A and just watching him play,” Piscotty said. “I thought, ‘I would love to be the guy that gets there with him.’ It’s kind of cool that it’s coming to fruition. It adds something to it when you have a personal relationship with someone. It adds to the fun of it. It fires us up.”

A message from Derrick Goold Pitchers and catchers report one day a year. We cover the rest. Wherever baseball takes us, The Post-Dispatch and STLtoday.com will bring you there with unmatched year-round, 24-hour, and award-winning coverage of the Cardinals and Major League Baseball. Subscribe today: Just $1 a month

Keep up with the latest Cardinals coverage from our award-winning team of reporters and columnists. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.