 His game improved substantially in all areas by , when he batted .299 with six home runs and logged a .957 fielding percentage while splitting the season at Double-A & Triple-A.He emerged as one of the Pirates' top minor league prospects, batting .294 over five minor league seasons when he made his major league debut in .He spent the season in Triple-A with the Charleston Charlies before being called up to the Pirates when rosters expanded in September.