In Josh Harrisons fourth year in the Mike Golic Jerseys major leagues, the Pirates' 5-foot-8 All-Star is doing things nobody ever expected.

Hes got 13 homers, manager Clint Hurdle told Sporting News earlier this month. I did not have that coming into this season, that hed hit 13 home runs this year.

Hurdle paused slightly.

I didnt have that.

Thats understandable. In his first three years in the majors, Harrison hit only seven home runs in 229 games. In his 456 career games in the minor leagues, Harrison hit a grand total of 21 home runs. So, yeah, 13 long balls in one season seemed like a reach.

Of course, so did potentially winning a batting title, but Harrison is on the verge of making that happen, too. Hes batting .317, just ahead of Colorados Justin Morneau (.316) San Franciscos Buster Posey (.312) and teammate Andrew McCutchen (.307).

Its a pretty impre sive showing from a guy who seemed to be eternally locked into a part-time super-utility role. Harrison hit .272 in 65 games for Pittsburgh in 2011, .233 in 104 games in 2012 and .250 in 60 games last year while spending a good part of the season with Triple-A Indianapolis. Thats a career .250 average in 532 at-bats spread over three years and 229 games, if youre keeping count.

How unexpected was Harrisons batting-average breakthrough, in a historical context?

Consider this: No hitter has ever won a National League batting title with a lower career average heading into his batting-title season. Ever.

Previously, Terry Pendleton set the record with a .259 average before he won the 1991 batting title, and Gary Sheffield had an identical .259 career average before he led the leaguein 1992.

The only person ever with a DeVonta Smith Jerseys lower career batting average to win a title was Alex Rodriguez, who led the AL with a .358 average in his first full season in the majors. Heading into that 1996 season, he had a career .224 mark in only 196 at-bats split between two years.

Through the first month of 2014, it seemed more likely that Harrison would wind up back in Triple-A than be standing on the precipice of history in September.

He started just two games in April and finished the month batting .208, but had two-hit games three days in a row early in May, Philadelphia Eagles Golf Sporting Goods and that stretch changed pretty much everything about his 2014. His month-by-month averages: .317 in May, .317 in June, .272 in July, .356 in August and .353 in September.

Its been something to watch, Im telling you, it really has, Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer said. Seems that every time he goes out there, he does something thats spectacular, that wows you a little bit. Hes continued to do it, too, and thats whats impre sive about it. You think hes going to slow Davion Taylor Jerseys down a little bit and he never has. Its fun to watch.

Harrisons fun to watch file includes the two times hes escaped rundowns with displays of agility and creativity, and .If you ever want to learn how to get out of a pickle, Hurdle told SN, just YouTube him.

And if you want to learn the impact Harrison has had on his team, just look at the standings. The Pirates, who were just 9-16 in April, own the second wild-card spot (a game-and-a-half up on the Brewers) and sit just two-and-a-half behind the NL Central-leading Cardinals.

When you look at the definition of what an MVP is,"Hurdle said, hes meant a defensive edge for us, an offensive edge, a base-running edge. The clubhouse environment, his personality, this guy is a leader in his own right, the way he goes about his game, the way he goes about his preparation.