Mark Merchant, 19, Is Young Man in a Hurry

The Pittsburgh Pirates are placing a large asterisk next to Mark Merchant’s numbers in the South Atlantic League.

Merchant’s .254 average at Augusta isn’t setting any Class A records, but the Pirates will be patient with the No. 2 selection in the 1987 amateur draft. The switch-hitting outfielder is only 19 and Merchant gives away several years of pro experience to virtually every player he competes against.

“You take those three or four years between Mark and the rest of the league . . . that’s an important difference,” says Augusta Manager Woody Huyke, who managed Merchant at Bradenton last summer. “You figure at the age of 23, Merchant might be in the big leagues. When you sign a young guy and put him in with older fellows, he gets down on himself a little bit. He never failed before and now he finds it hard to cope.”

After starring at Oviedo High School near Orlando, Fla., Merchant was drafted right behind Ken Griffey Jr. last year. He batted just .265 in the Gulf Coast League but led the circuit with 33 stolen bases.

“I want to get to the majors as fast as I possibly can,” says Merchant, who had only two home runs and 17 RBIs in his first 177 at-bats with Augusta. “I don’t want to spend too much time in the minors.”

Merchant, a free swinger, batted leadoff for Huyke last season.

“Truthfully, Mark doesn’t like to walk,” Huyke said. “He goes up there swinging. The Pirate organization is very high on him and Mark’s biggest problem is that sometimes he gets down on himself. He wants to do well every day, every at-bat. I told him, ‘Mark, I’m not interested in performance, I’m interested in progress.’ ”

--The progress of young left-hander Mike Remlinger poses a huge concern for the San Francisco Giants. The former Dartmouth star was a first-round draft pick in 1987 and struck out 54 batters in 35 minor-league innings at Everett and Shreveport.

Giant Manager Roger Craig was very impressed with Remlinger this spring and after 18 strikeouts in 13 innings at Shreveport, Remlinger experienced stiffness in his left forearm.

“It happened April 18,” recalls Shreveport pitching coach Steve Cline. “It was the third inning on a cold night. Mike strained a ligament in his left forearm and he hasn’t pitched to a batter since the injury.”

Remlinger was examined in San Francisco and is now working out daily with a sports therapist in Sheveport. He is expected to expand on his light throwing and the Captains plan Remlinger’s return in early August.

“All of the physical tools are there--if he stays healthy,” Cline said. “He has an outstanding fastball and a real good over-the-top curve that looks like it breaks straight down.”

--The Cincinnati Reds boast two intriguing young pitching prospects in 19-year-old Butch Henry and Scott Scudder, 20.

Scudder, drafted in the first round two years ago out of Pattonville (Texas) High School, was just promoted from Cedar Rapids to Chattanooga. The 6-foot-2 right-hander struggled at Cedar Rapids in 1987 (7-12, 4.10 ERA), but he was 7-3 there this season with a 2.02 ERA to earn a promotion to the AA Southern League. In 102 1-3 innings, Scudder yielded just three homers and 61 hits, striking out 126.

Henry, a 15th-round choice in 1987 out of El Paso’s Eastwood H.S., turned down a full scholarship at the University of Texas and went 4-0 at Billings a year ago. A left-hander with good movement on his fastball, Henry won 12 of his first 13 decisions at Cedar Rapids this season with a 2.20 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 123 innings.