Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Pirates pitcher Bryan Bullington makes a catch during workouts at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla. Click photo for larger image. 2005 Spring Training: Pirates Notebook: Perez finally throws from the mound

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Bryan Bullington displays a keen understanding that, no matter how well he pitches, how quickly he develops, it might not be enough to get anyone outside the Pirates' organization to evaluate him on his own merits.

Not when he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 amateur draft.

And especially not when the player chosen at No. 2, shortstop B.J. Upton of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, appears to be on the cusp of stardom.

"Yeah, I know," Bullington said at McKechnie Field before a team workout. "That's how it is, and that's probably how it's always going to be. What matters to me is what the people here think of me and, of course, how I feel about my performance."

Ask members of the Pirates' management, and they will say they are fully satisfied with Bullington's progress.

He is penciled in for the starting rotation at Class AAA Indianapolis this season and, at age 24, should be one of the Indians' youngest players. That will continue his level-a-year progress and keep him on pace to reach the majors by 2006, on par with most high picks.

"All aspects of his development have gone well," director of player development Brian Graham said. "He has two full seasons under his belt, and he's going to be a starter in AAA. ... That's pretty impressive."

Other aspects of Bullington's career appear to be cause for alarm.

One is that his statistics have had little sizzle. In 26 starts for Class AA Altoona last season, he went 12-7, tying for second in the Eastern League in victories. But he also posted a 4.10 earned run average, gave up 18 home runs and had ordinary totals of 100 strikeouts and 47 walks in 145 innings.

Another concern is that his fastball's velocity has dropped from the 95 mph he had at Ball State University -- where he set school strikeout records -- to the low 90s on some nights, high 80s on others.

Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield dismissed the loss of velocity as inconsistency.

"The velocity comes and goes, but he's going to settle in at 89-93. He's got enough fastball," Littlefield said. "As with a lot of young pitchers, it's more about command and being able to throw more than one pitch for strikes. He's gotten better at that, and he's going to have to get even better."

To be sure, versatility is Bullington's strength. He has a curveball, changeup and slider that he mixes regularly with his fastball.

"I throw four pitches and try to throw them all for strikes," he said. "I've got just a few minor things I'm trying to iron out but, for the most part, I'm pretty comfortable with where I'm at."

Even at its peak, though, Bullington's performance has not compared to that of Upton.

Upton, four years younger, excelled in Tampa Bay's system and played 45 games in the majors with the Devil Rays last season, hitting .258 with eight doubles, four home runs and 12 RBIs in 159 at-bats. He is projected to start this season in Class AAA, but many expect he soon will be a major-league All-Star.

Bullington allowed that, although he does not keep close tabs on Upton, he is aware of Upton's rapid ascent.

"The kid's an unbelievable talent. Everybody knew that at the draft, and we've seen it the past few years," Bullington said. "But I'm not going to try to compare myself to an infielder."

Bullington held out for five months in 2002 before landing a $4 million signing bonus from the Pirates. But money was not what kept the Pirates from choosing Upton, who received only $500,000 more. Rather, it was that management -- including owner Kevin McClatchy -- preferred an older player who might be closer to helping the major-league team.

Neither Littlefield nor Graham, who oversaw their first draft with the Pirates that year, offers regrets.

"At this point, I don't think we're ready to acknowledge who was the better pick," Littlefield said. "Bullington has progressed well, done some good things. He certainly needs to improve on areas, like a lot of young players, but we like what we see. Upton, from what we've seen, is a fine-looking player. He's done some real good things with the bat, moved quickly to get to the big leagues. But you've got to look from a longer standpoint."

"What happens is people get lost in the No. 1 draft pick fog," Graham said. "Sure, Upton is a great player. But, at the point where we were, Bullington was the best choice for us."

Bullington, an easy-smiling, soft-spoken sort, clearly attempts to focus on his development rather than engage in post-draft analysis.

"Every organization handles things differently. I'm with Pittsburgh, and that's all I'm thinking about," he said. "From my standpoint, I had a good season in A, another good season in AA. Now, I want to do well in AAA and make it to the bigs. I knew coming in that it would be a progression type of situation. This is exactly what I thought would happen after the draft. I'm right where I thought I'd be."

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