LAKELAND, Fla. — It hasn’t taken Tommy Pham long to make his present felt around the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The home run he hit Sunday during a 5-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium was fun, sure. Fastball away, 97 mph, other way out to right.

Even the throw he made to nail Detroit right fielder Kerry Carpenter trying to stretch a single into a double in the second inning, the type of play Pham hopes to execute more this season while improving his defensive value to the Pirates and the rest of MLB.

I’m actually talking more about the behind-the-scenes stuff, the little details, the way Pham has been comporting himself around the clubhouse.

Wrote it before and I’ll write it again: The Pirates have needed a guy like this.

Someone who’s brutally honest. Someone who isn’t afraid to challenge or call out a teammate. Someone who knows how the game is supposed to look.

Inside the cramped visitors’ clubhouse here, I chatted with Pham about what he’s observed in Florida with his new club. The 37-year-old has been enjoying it. Pham has also been gaining a clearer understanding of his role and embracing it.

“It’s a younger team,” Pham told me. “Younger teams need more veterans. Everybody has questions for me, at least three a day from the guys. It’s pretty cool that guys feel comfortable asking me about certain things. But in the back of my mind, I think, ‘Damn, if I wasn’t here, they really only have Cutch.’

“I’ve been on teams where we have a lot of veterans. It really wasn’t like this. But I’ve embraced this. I appreciate this.”

That’s not just smoke, either.

Pham brought up unprompted two specific instances where he challenged younger Pirates players to have a better fundamental approach.

One came March 5 against the Blue Jays at LECOM Park. Bottom of the fifth, one out, first and third. Pham was ahead in the count, 2-0, when Jack Suwinski was thrown out trying to steal second base.

Pham wasn’t happy.

“The timing of that is terrible,” Pham said. “Now we’re two outs, I’m 2-1. Just little stuff like that can’t happen. Have to be smarter. Or you definitely have to be safe there.”

Two days later, with the Pirates welcoming the Phillies to LECOM Park, Ji Hwan Bae hit a fly ball into no-man’s land behind third base and shortstop, in very shallow left field.

Bae hesitated some out of the box, though it’s debatable if he could have reached second base. That didn’t stop Pham and Adam Frazier from approaching Bae with a message — run hard no matter what.

“We just told him, ‘That’s a ball where you have be on second, man,’” Pham said, recalling what they told Bae. “It’s only gonna help you take advantage of that opportunity.”

Whether it’s with his words or actions, Pham wants to help the Pirates take advantage of his opportunity.

He signed with the Pirates because he believes they can win. The recruitment actually started with Oneil Cruz over the winter, the two crossing paths in the Dominican Republic.

Pham arrived at Pirate City wanting to focus more on his defense, believing that positioning himself differently might lead to better metrics. His ability to see pitches and navigate deep into at-bats is why manager Derek Shelton might try Pham in the leadoff spot.

Though he left Sunday’s game with left hip tightness, Pham has been solid this spring while posting a .462 on-base percentage.

The most important thing is obviously production between the lines and Pham looking more like the guy who was worth 1.5 wins above replacement, per Baseball Reference, in 2023 than what he did last year (minus-0.2).

But as I wrote not long ago, I really believe that the Pirates have needed a player like Pham. Lapses in fundamentals, especially during last summer’s 10-game losing streak, have been too common and costly for a team with an already slim margin for error.

It’s also not surprising to hear and see Pham throwing his weight around.

“I love the fact that I can help people out by giving them some words from experience,” Pham said. “It’s daily.”

Pham also isn’t alone.

This offseason, the Pirates added Pham along with Frazier, Andrew Heaney, Tim Mayza and Caleb Ferguson. They’ve all been in the postseason recently with the Royals, Dodgers, Mariners, Orioles, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Yankees, Blue Jays and Astros the past three seasons. It was absolutely intentional.

Pham, like most places he’s been, is the most outspoken of the bunch. He’s never been afraid to provide an honest assessment or offer feedback on how he thinks things should be done.

Though the numbers weren’t what anyone would want, Pham and Frazier also played a part in the Royals breaking through last season, something the Pirates obviously hope to achieve in 2025.

“You saw it last year on the Royals,” said Pham, talking about a young core supplemented by a group of veterans that also included Yuli Gurriel, Hunter Renfroe and cornerstone catcher Salvador Perez.

“You need guys with experience to let you know, ‘Things are going to be like this,’ and how to prepare for it. Having us here, it’s gonna help a lot of guys. I still would like one more.”

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