Talk about raiding the farm
With the Pirates' youth movement now in full swing, nine players who began last season in the Minor Leagues today can be found on Pittsburgh's big-league roster

But the recent influx of young talent in Pittsburgh has by no means depleted the Bucs' farm system
Even without the services of Zach Duke, Paul Maholm, Ian Snell, Matt Capps, Ryan Doumit, Ronny Paulino, Nate McLouth, Chris Duffy and Jose Bautista, there is still talent aplenty waiting in the Minors

And a month into the season, it's showed

"So far, so good" said Brian Graham, the team's director of player development
"I'm very pleased with what we've seen"

Triple-A Indianapolis (16-13)

With a team ERA of just 3.06, it's been pitching that's lifted the Indians atop the International League's West division
Leading the way has been a pair of veteran starters in Brandon Duckworth and Britt Reames, with the touted Tom Gorzelanny close behind

The 30-year-old Duckworth, who has started 66 Major League games and who many figured to be the Bucs' fifth starter coming out of Spring Training, has been particularly impressive in posting a 4-2 mark with a 2.43 ERA
"He's been outstanding" Graham said
"His curveball is back to where it was when he was an effective Major Leaguer"

Reames, another big-league veteran, has made an equal mark
Signed as a Minor League free agent over the winter, the 32-year-old has gone 2-1 with a 2.22 ERA
If he keeps this up, look for the right-hander to offer long relief help in Pittsburgh

As for Gorzelanny, the organization's top pitching prospect, the Bucs have liked what they've seen from the 23-year-old lefty - chiefly from a maturity standpoint - as they ready him for a spot in the big club's rotation
"We like where Gorzelanny is right now" Graham said
"He has the composure to handle situations now
You have to remember this is a guy who has very limited experience above the Class A level"
In six starts this season, Gorzelanny is 1-2 with a 3.73 ERA and a team-high 32 strikeouts

As evidenced by Gorzelanny's hard-luck record, the Indianapolis offense has struggled at times, hitting just .238 as a team

And with its two most potent hitters in Brad Eldred (fractured thumb) and Bautista (recalled by Pittsburgh) gone, the Indians will look for increased production from Rajai Davis
Though hitting just .226 this year, the center fielder Baseball America calls the sixth-best prospect in the Bucs' farm system has shown the Pirates brass he is more than capable of making the jump from Double-A Altoona to Indianapolis

Double-A Altoona (19-11)

This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Curve
Altoona did not, after all, return one player penciled into the Opening Day lineup of last year's playoff team

But thanks to the boost received from a pair of unlikely sources, Altoona is sitting atop of the Eastern League
Brett Roneberg and Rafael Alvarez, both signed as Minor League free agents over the winter, are a respective first and third on the team in hitting

"Certainly, we trust our scouts" Graham said

Roneberg missed the first two-and-a-half weeks with a back injury, but he made an instant mark in his return
In his first game of the season, on April 24, the 27-year-old Aussie slugged a game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth inning
And he's kept it going, hitting .407 with a .569 slugging percentage in 12 games with the Curve

Alvarez, discovered playing winter ball in Venezuela, also has been a mainstay in the lineup
In 26 games, the 29-year-old has hit .311 with three homers and a pair of triples

Perhaps most encouraging to the Pirates has been the early showing from Adam Boeve
The Eastern League's player of the month in April, Boeve is hitting .346 with three home runs
"Not only has he played well, but he's improved in every area we've asked of him" Graham said
"His two-strike hitting, the ability to hit the breaking ball and his overall play in the outfield have all improved
He's done everything"

On the pitching front, the Curve have been led by a couple of Josh's

Josh Shortslef, the Bucs' sixth round selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft, has been brilliant thus far
In six starts, the strapping 24-year-old lefty has gone 4-0 with a 2.91 ERA
"He's always shown a good arm with three solid pitches" Graham said
"But the difference is that he's showing a command of those pitches now"

And at the back end of the bullpen, Josh Sharpless has been outstanding
Used mainly as the club's closer, the 25-year-old right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA and six saves in 14-2/3 innings of work
Look for Sharpless to make the leap from Altoona to Pittsburgh by season's end

Low Class A Hickory (11-17) and High Class A Lynchburg (11-13)

Neither of the Bucs' Class A affiliates have rolled out of the gates, but a number of players have

Andrew McCutchen has done nothing but impress since the Pirates made him their top pick in last year's draft
Through 28 games at Hickory this year, he's hitting .330 with four homers
This comes with many teams pitching around McCutchen, whose power has laid him claim to the third spot in the Crawdads order
"He's played extremely well" Graham said
"With a lot of teams not pitching to him right now - he's taken everything on well"
The 19-year-old center fielder who Baseball America dubs the organization's No. 2 prospect should soon find himself in Lynchburg

At Lynchburg, the Pirates have to be pleased with the early returns on Brad Correll, a Minor League Rule 5 acquisition this past offseason
Second in the Carolina League in hitting, Correll is batting .324 with three home runs and eight doubles in 27 games with the Hillcats

Lynchburg will get another offensive pick-me-up with Neil Walker expected to return next week
The franchise's top-rated prospect and 2004 first-round draft selection, Walker has been recovering from a broken wrist