Alex Cora on Brayan Bello comparisons to Pedro Martinez: 'I just want him to be himself'

“Like I said yesterday, let’s have fun today,” Cora said on Wednesday. “Regardless of the results, he’s a big leaguer as soon as he gets there. We’ve seen it the last two years, sometimes these kids come up and they struggle in the first one, and then after that, they do their job. But I understand all the hype and comparisons [to Martinez], I just want him to be himself — go out there and keep handling the strike zone with good stuff.”

While Bello had a difficult first outing in the big leagues, Cora understands the high hopes the team has for Bello and he feels confident about his potential based on the work ethic he has shown so far during his minor league career.

“We know what he represents to this organization now, and what he means for the future,” Cora said. “Right now he’s pitching in this spot because of what has happened, but he’s still a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish. He’s been amazing the whole season.

“I always joke around in the off-season that the only way you can see what guys are doing is through Instagram or Twitter,” he continued. “And his account during the offseason was amazing. You can see that he was on a mission, just like everybody else, but he was more public about it. This kid is going to be a big part of what we’re trying to do this year and the upcoming years.”