CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Ke'Bryan Hayes played all over the field when he was younger. Hayes’ father, longtime big leaguer Charlie, wanted to make sure his son was versatile. He was a shortstop for a few years, but he settled in at third base when he was about 13 years old.

“My dad said that’s probably where I was going to end up,” Hayes said.

If everything goes according to plan, Hayes could end up at third base in Pittsburgh soon enough. The Pirates’ No. 2 prospect is set to start the season with Triple-A Indianapolis after getting his first extended taste of big league Spring Training. This time next year, he might be ready for a regular role with the Pirates.

“Whenever that comes,” he said, “it’ll come.”

For now, the 22-year-old is focused on more immediate goals. He wants to get through the spring healthy, then he wants to help his team win a championship. He wants to keep playing the kind of excellent defense he’s known for. He wants to continue improving offensively, as he did last season. He wants to steal more bases this year.

First, Hayes is going to soak up as much knowledge as possible. His locker at Pirate City was set up between first baseman Josh Bell, a former top prospect like Hayes, and outfielder Melky Cabrera, who has spent 14 years in the Majors.

“It’s pretty surreal. I’m just glad to be here,” Hayes said. “Throughout this spring, I’ll probably be annoying a lot of them. I’m trying to get as much information as I can.”

Similarly, the Pirates will spend this spring learning as much as possible about Hayes and fellow prospects like Cole Tucker, Will Craig, Bryan Reynolds and Jason Martin. That group, along with top prospect Mitch Keller and several others, should begin the season in Triple-A before ascending to the Majors over the next year.

“It’s going to be a fun spring for us to really get a good look at some of our guys that could provide us with some depth moving forward,” manager Clint Hurdle said before the Pirates’ Grapefruit League opener on Saturday, when Hayes played four innings at third base in a 3-2 win.

Hayes could be much more than just depth if his offensive game continues to catch up to his defense. He's such a gifted fielder, Tucker said, that teammates are genuinely stunned on the rare occasions he makes an error.

“He’s special. He’s got great hands, just a great feel for the game,” Tucker said. “The smooth plays, the crazy plays down the line, you expect that out of him. When things go wrong, everyone has a meltdown.”

Hayes added power at the plate last season, hitting .293/.375/.444 with seven homers and 31 doubles in 117 games for Double-A Altoona. It was a step forward after he hit two homers and slugged .363 in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League in 2017.

Hayes credited more experience and good health for the uptick in extra-base thump. He got better against offspeed pitches by putting himself in a more balanced position in the batter’s box. The rib injury that ended his 2016 season early lingered into the first month of ’17, keeping him from lifting weights during the offseason and affecting his strength that year.

The last two years, Hayes has focused on getting stronger during the offseason. He worked out at a Dynamic Sports Training in Houston, sharing a facility with Astros third baseman Alex Bregman and prospects like Shane Baz, Forrest Whitley and Corbin Martin. At the same time, he did drills to keep his footwork sharp -- one of the keys to his success in the field.

“That’s one of the things that I like to continue to put a strong emphasis on, because the ball’s coming so quick,” Hayes said. “That first step is crucial for me, I think. I would say that’s one of the main things I focus on.”