Prospect No. 1 must wait six months to turn 21
Prospect No. 2 was this state's best high school athlete three years ago
That might translate into good early-season business for the Altoona Curve

For the first time in its nine-year minor-league history, Altoona will be the starting spot for the Pittsburgh Pirates' top two prospects
Andrew McCutchen, a 20-year-old outfield, and 21-year-old third baseman Neil Walker - the organization's top two prospects according to Baseball America - are easily the biggest gems on an intriguing Opening Day roster

The Curve begin their season Thursday at Erie, and McCutchen and Walker are expected to occupy middle-of-the-lineup slots

"I have been around for a pretty good bit of time" said 40-year-old general manger Todd Parnell "and I have never seen two guys as prized from a prospect standpoint as these two guys on the same team"

Nobody knows how long McCutchen and Walker will occupy locker stalls at Blair County Ballpark, but consider a telling statement by Walker, who hit .657 with 13 homers and earned first-time All-State football selection as a senior at District 7 Pine-Richland High School
Despite moving to third base before spring training, Walker, a first-round pick in 2004 as a catcher, said at Tuesday's Media Day that believes he can play in Pittsburgh by the end of this season
"I went into spring thinking a new position was going to push me back, but the fact that I made transition so easily and produced offensively helped me a lot" said Walker, who ended last season in Altoona
"I feel very close"

Manager Tim Leiper, who guided the Curve to a 75-64 record in 2006, praised Walker's play at third base
"You could go to a major-league game and he could be playing third base and you would have no idea he has been playing it for only three weeks" Leiper said
"It looks like it's going to be a real nice position change"

McCutchen also impressed the organization during spring training
McCutchen hit .308 against major-league pitching and the Pirates waited until the final week of spring training to send him to minor-league camp

Gaudy batting averages are nothing new for McCutchen
The Pirates selected McCutchen 11th overall during the 2005 draft after he hit .709 with 16 homers and 42 RBI as a senior at Fort Meade (Fla.) High School
McCutchen ended his first professional season in the New York-Penn League and reached Altoona by the end of last season
McCutchen played a major late-season role for the Curve as he hit .308 in 20 games after a promotion from low-Class A Hickory

"McCutchen is the best hitter I have ever seen" said Curve first baseman/outfielder Brett Roneberg
"At 20 years old and in Double-A, he's unbelievable
Anything he wants to do he can do"

McCutchen has been compared to Marquis Grissom, a two-time all-star who spent 17 seasons in the major leagues
Grissom reached the majors at 22, and McCutchen could roam the PNC Park outfield before turning the same age

"People say I handle the game like a veteran and that says a lot for me" McCutchen said
"At my age, there aren't too many players that handle the game like I do
But I don't let that get in my head
I still listen to everything the coaches say"

McCutchen and Walker's presence represents a new challenge for the Curve's innovative front office
Both players are expected to cause stirs when the team begins playing at home next week and they will be the subject of bobblehead promotions this spring
But, the transient nature of minor-league baseball makes it difficult for the Curve to further market the duo

Parnell, who started his professional baseball career in 1990, said the organization will display sensitivity when handling the players
The Curve have developed solid relationships with many of their former stars and current Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers Matt Capps, Paul Maholm and Tom Gorzelanny are attending next Thursday's home opener
"You don't want to be so over-the-top that you're viewed as taking advantage of them" he said

Parnell said seeing McCutchen and Walker on the roster reminds him of a situation he experienced while working for the Reading Phillies in 1995 when the team's top prospect was a 19-year-old infielder named Scott Rolen
"I remember you were watching something that you could follow for years to come" he said
"I think the fans can sense that and that leads to a level of excitement that could lead to higher attendance
The increased water-cooler talk can't do anything but help us"