BRADENTON, Fla. -- Austin Meadows won't break camp with the Pirates, but he's been around long enough this spring to show what he's capable of doing -- and learn quite a bit in the process.
Meadows' impressive Spring Training showing continued in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Tigers as he crushed a go-ahead solo homer off Detroit lefty Kyle Ryan that sailed over the boardwalk beyond the outfield wall at LECOM Park. It was the second homer of the spring for Meadows, who has hit .308/.413/.538 in 39 at-bats over 19 games.
Meadows was the youngest player invited to Pittsburgh's big league camp, but it hardly shows. The Bucs' No. 2 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com received more playing time while the Pirates' entire outfield was away for the World Baseball Classic, and he's still involved as their time in Florida dwindles down to only a few days.
"I didn't know it was going to work out that around this time I'd be here. I'm just fortunate to be here still," Meadows said. "Being a young guy, being a rookie here, it's been good to get the experience."
Manager Clint Hurdle said Meadows will benefit from the increased level of competition, specifically the quicker speed of the game. He's also seeing more advanced pitchers, experienced arms capable of throwing offspeed pitches in hitters' counts.

In the end, simply getting to stick around this long may be the most important part of Meadows' experience. Whenever his call to Pittsburgh comes, whether it's later this year or after that, he'll be more familiar with his surroundings.
"Being around big leaguers, facing big leaguers has been very, very good for his development," Hurdle said. "It's a comfortable place because they've played with these men. They know the routines. They know how to prepare. Then the real season look is obviously different than the Spring Training look."
Around the horn
• Reliever Jared Hughes, whose remaining Minor League option and early 2016 struggles left at least some room for debate regarding his Opening Day roster status, pitched a scoreless fifth inning Saturday. Hughes allowed one hit and induced two groundouts, typically the measure of success for the veteran right-hander.
"The last two times out, there's been more sink, more effective sink, more consistent sink," Hurdle said.
Overall this spring, Hughes has been charged for 15 runs (12 earned) on 14 hits and four walks in 8 1/3 innings.
• Right-hander Jameson Taillon, scheduled to start the Pirates' second game of the season, will throw 100 pitches in a Minor League game at Pirate City on Sunday.
Right-handers Josh Lindblom, A.J. Schugel, Hughes and lefty Wade LeBlanc -- all competing for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen -- will pitch in the Bucs' Grapefruit League game against the Phillies at Spectrum Field in Clearwater.
• The Pirates' 18 wins in Grapefruit League play this spring are their most since the 1994 club finished 19-10.