Because the Pittsburgh Pirates don’t want the clock to start ticking on the service time of super prospect Gregory Polanco, the clock is already ticking on their season.

It’s May 1. The Pirates are 10-16 — 4-13 since a 6-3 start — and rank near the bottom of Major League Baseball in runs scored and team batting average.

Pirates’ right fielders have been mediocre at best, ghastly at worst.

The highlight of Travis Snider’s season so far has been getting sucker-punched by Milwaukee backup catcher and Mike Tyson wannabe Martin Maldonado.

Jose Tabata has been, well, Jose Tabata. That’s not good. Jose Tabata is the tofu of baseball — mediocre and bland.

Polanco, a pitcher when the Buccos plucked him out of the Dominican at the age of 17, is a right fielder who is anything but tofu. He’s more like a Trinidad Moruga Scorpion pepper.

And the Pirates certainly need some zing in their lineup.

Polanco is tearing up the International League at Class AAA Indianapolis. He’s batting .400 with six doubles, two triples, four home runs and 25 RBI in just 95 at-bats.

He is ready. Now. Not June 1. Now.

Of course, he will stay in Indy until at least June because of money. Call him up earlier than that and Polanco will earn “Super 2” status, which means he will be arbitration eligible a year sooner.

That mean he will get paid — a lot — a season sooner.

So, while the Buccos struggle on offense and put a tremendous amount of pressure on a pitching staff that can’t possibly be as good as it was last season, Polanco will waste away in Triple-A.

The Bucs’ brass claim that he needs more seasoning, that he has just 105 plate appearances at the Triple-A level and they don’t want to rush him.

But Polanco isn’t a typical prospect. There are some who just develop much faster than others.

See Harper, Bryce. See Trout, Mike.

The Pirates aren’t completely to blame for this. Stashing away top prospects in the minors to save Super 2 status is a practice employed by every MLB team.

The Nationals did it with Harper. The Angels did it with Trout.

The Tampa Bay Rays waited until mid-June last year to call up Wil Myers and the outfielder helped the Rays to a wild card spot.

Myers also won the American League Rookie of the Year.

And, of, course, the Pirates did the same thing last season with Gerrit Cole and in 2009 with Andrew McCutchen.

The point here is who cares what happens in five or six years from now? You’d hope if Polanco is that good, the Bucs will lock him up to a long-term deal long before arbitration.

The Pirates have a chance to follow up a breakout season with another playoff year in 2014 and Polanco may be the player who can get them there.

Mike Kilroy is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.