The Pittsburgh Pirates began scouting Starling Marte more than a decade ago, when he was a teenager growing up in the Dominican Republic. After careful consideration, they picked him, making his deal official on Jan. 4, 2007.
He played his first game in their summer league at 18 years old, starting his long climb to the big leagues, through the Gulf Coast and Sally Leagues. He graduated from Class A Lynchburg, Class AA Altoona and Class AAA Indianapolis, a five-year journey with the player, his coaches and his managers sharing the investment of time in his future.