If Victor Mercedes makes it to the major leagues, the second baseman might remind Pirates fans of somebody.

"He's a Chico Lind type," said Jeff Banister, who managed Mercedes at Class A Lynchburg this summer. "He has range off the charts. He has personality. He has tools that are exciting."

Thing is, pitches are exciting to Mercedes.

"He's kind of a wild hitter," Banister conceded, mindful that Mercedes, 25, had 19 walks and 66 strikeouts in 308 at-bats through Tuesday.

Mercedes, though, also had a .276 batting average, 17 doubles and 15 stolen bases. He's one of several Pirates prospects who probably are more than a couple seasons away from PNC Park. But they're still worth noting and watching.

Take Josh Bonifay, for example. The son of former Pirates general manager Cam Bonifay, Josh Bonifay is in his "sophomore" year with Class AA Altoona -- and making the most of it.

Bonifay, who turns 26 July 30, had a super season at Lynchburg in 2002, batting .307 with 36 doubles, 26 home runs and 102 RBIs. But also 97 strikeouts in 463 at-bats.

He found Class AA pitching more challenging last season. In 386 at-bats for Altoona, he batted .285 with 11 home runs, 56 RBIs and 106 strikeouts.

This year, however, Bonifay has used a recent surge to boost his batting average to .270 and ranks third in the Eastern League with 63 RBIs. After apparently fining a home at first base, Bonifay has hit .304 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs in his past 26 games. He still strikes out a lot -- 81 times in 278 at-bats -- but his 16 homers and 63 strikeouts indicate he's adjusting to Class AA pitching.

"He's got some power," Altoona manager Tony Beasley said. "His strength is power to right-center field."

Ray Sadler, 23, acquired from the Chicago Cubs for Randall Simon last August, has begun rising to prospect status in Altoona. The corner outfielder has hit .311 over the past month, raising his overall average to .279. He has 16 home runs and 46 RBIs.

"He has so much raw talent," said Beasley, who compares Sadler to Marquis Grissom. "I don't think we've scratched the surface of that talent.."

Yurendell DeCaster, 24, is intriguing because he plays third base. And, yes, Beasley said, DeCaster is aware of the Pirates' hole at that spot.

"He'll get some attention if he finishes strong," Beasley said of DeCaster, who's hitting .274 with 12 home runs and 32 RBIs. "He's an athletic kid who's gotten the chance to play every day [because of the Rule 5 losses of Chris Shelton and Jose Bautista]. "

Pirates fans also might want to keep an eye on right-hander Jeff Miller, a 6-foot-4, 222-pounder who became the Curve's closer three weeks ago. Miller, 24, a 15th-round pick in 2001, has allowed 31 hits, 19 walks and struck out 55 in 45²*₃ innings.

Next season, Beasley should manage one of the few power threats in the Pirates' farm system.

First baseman Brad Eldred, who turned 24 Monday, has a .313 batting average with Lynchburg. He leads the Carolina League in home runs (18 in 316 at-bats), RBIs (73) and extra-base hits (41). Eldred, 6-5, 274 pounds and a right-handed batter, also has 92 strikeouts.

"But, when he hits the ball, it makes a loud noise and it goes a long way," Banister said.

Center fielder Rajai Davis, Lynchburg's leadoff batter, is the complement to Eldred.

Davis, 23, was a 38th-round draft pick in 2001, but he attracted attention in 2002 when he hit .384 in 224 at-bats for Bradenton in the Gulf Coast Rookie League. This season, he has a .331 batting average and leads the Carolina League in stolen bases (32), runs scored (58) and hits (107). His on-base percentage is .402.

Lynchburg a week ago welcomed left-hander Tom Gorzelanny, the Pirates' second-round pick in 2003. At Hickory, Gorzelanny was 7-1 with a 2.38 earned run average. In 87 innings, he yielded only 59 hits and 30 walks and struck out 99.

But don't overlook right-hander Leo Nunez, 20, who's 5-2 with a 2.95 earned run average for the Crawdads.