Peter Diana, Post-Gazette The Pirates' Ian Snell pitches batting practice at Pirate City. Click photo for larger image. More Coverage: Leyland approaching new job in Detroit as if he were starting over Pirates Notebook: Pirates are showing patience at the plate

LAKELAND, Fla. -- He is not quite Al "The Mad Hungarian" Hrabosky, swearing and slamming his resin bag as he circles the mound.

But the Pirates' Ian Snell can be, by his own estimation, a bitter young man with a baseball in his right hand.

"I pitch mad a lot, for some reason," he said. "I think I pitch a lot better like that, not when I'm all happy and that."

He fairly spits out those final few words, as if to suggest happiness is a sign of weakness, then manages a slight smile.

"Really, that's just how I've been the whole time I've been with the Pirates organization. I don't know. You can call it a chip on my shoulder or whatever, but it's there."

It will remain there, too, in all likelihood, as Snell advances through what now is a six-man competition for two vacancies in the starting rotation.

Does Snell have a shot?

He did not hurt his cause in his spring debut yesterday, the Pirates' 4-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers yesterday at Joker Marchant Stadium. He pitched scoreless third and fourth innings, with a strikeout and a walk. Sixteen of his 27 pitches were strikes, including high heat to whiff Curtis Granderson.

There was one hard-hit ball, off the bat of Mike Hessman, but center fielder Rajai Davis tracked it down in front of the 420-foot mark.

"I felt great out there," Snell said. "It felt like everything was working."

He used his fastball, changeup and an especially effective curve.

"Ian threw the ball extremely well," manager Jim Tracy said.

Snell, 24, is younger than any of the right-handers in the running: Victor Santos is 29, Ryan Vogelsong 28 and Brandon Duckworth 30. He also has a dynamic arm and has been an unequivocal success in the minors.

But there are other circumstances that could become factors.

The Pirates can use as much experience as possible to make up for the loss of Kip Wells, and Snell has made six career starts.

Also, he has an option remaining and can be demoted to the minors one more time without the Pirates risking losing him through waivers.

"I have no idea if that will play into it," Snell said. "I don't even know how this option stuff works, so I'm not really worried about it. I've just got to do my job. It's whatever they want. Hopefully, I'll win the spot. If not, I'll give the guy who wins it all the support in the world."

Snell has gone 61-20 in the minors, including a dominant debut in Class AAA last season in which he went 11-4 for Indianapolis with a May 15 no-hitter. That earned him two stints in Pittsburgh, where he wound up 1-2 with a 5.14 earned run average in 15 appearances, including two starts.

One of those, his first career victory Sept. 19 at PNC Park, gave a glowing glimpse at his potential. He matched up against Houston's Roger Clemens and scattered three hits in eight scoreless innings in a 7-0 rout of an Astros team battling to make the playoffs.

That was one of the games the Pirates' video staff included in a DVD it made of his performances and mailed to him this winter.

"It's kind of neat to have that and be able to see it," Snell said. "The whole DVD helped, actually, because it allowed me to study how hitters approach me and to see what I do best."

Most often, Snell's best is a fastball that effortlessly reaches 95 mph, but he also has a slider and a curveball that was his crispest pitch that night against Houston. There is a changeup, too, he describes as being "very much improved" over the offseason.

Even so, ask Snell the key to his success, and he will go back to the anger issue.

"Basically, it's just a matter of my teammates cheering for me, the catcher keeping my calm, the infielders keeping me calm, telling me to take my time. I need to have good control, too, keep batters off balance."

Ask him what it will take to carry his success from the minors into the majors, and he stays right on topic.

"It's about being calm. The game is pretty fast when compared to the minors. I used to stare at Jack Wilson or Freddy Sanchez on that side of the infield and wait for them to put their hands up, telling me to settle down. It made me feel relaxed, knowing they had my back. That's what I like."