#61 GIFT NGOEPE INFIELDER AGE: 27 BATS/THROWS: R/R BORN: 1/18/90 in pietersburg, S. AFRIca M.L. SERVICE: none RESIDES: randburg, OBTAINED: signed as a non-drafted free HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5-8/200 agent on 9/29/08

AWARDS & HONORS: †† Participated in 2009 World Baseball Classic (South Africa).

2016 SEASON: Spent entire season with Triple-A Indianapolis...Set error in 58 games between 5/24 and 8/7...Was placed on suspended list minor league career high in doubles...Made 99 appearances (97 starts) at by the Pirates on 8/30 for the remainder of the season due to an off-field shortstop and three starts at second base...Led all qualifying International incident. League shortstops in fielding percentage (.984)...Was charged with just one CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 2015: Entered the year rated by Baseball America as the “Best Defensive Infielder” in Pittsburgh’s minor league system...Split season between 2012: Spent entire season with Bradenton...Set career highs in runs, hits Double-A Altoona and Indianapolis...Hit .257 (79-for-307) with 16 doubles, and stolen bases...Led all Florida State League shortstops in total chances three homers and 26 RBI in 92 games between the two clubs...Began (561), putouts (188), assists (352) and double plays (71)...Played for the season with Altoona and was the only Curve player to start each of the first Scottsdale Scorpions in the . 24 games...Hit .322 (27-for-90) in 24 games during the month of May and his .339 average over 34 games from 5/2 to 6/10 was the highest batting 2011: Began season with Low-A West Virginia..Injured his hamate bone and average in the Pirates organization during that span...Made all 71 defensive did not return to the club after 5/14...Played two rehab games with the GCL appearances at shortstop while playing with Altoona... Was promoted to Pirates in July...Made 12 starts at second base and 12 at shortstop. Indianapolis on 6/29...Made 15 starts at shortstop and three at third base 2010: with Indy; also made two appearances at second base...Played final game Spent majority of season with State College in the New York-Penn on 7/26...Missed the final month with a left oblique injury. League, where he made 35 starts at shortstop and 27 at second base. 2009: Played in the World Baseball Classic and went 2-for-5 with a pair 2014: Spent entire season with Altoona and established career highs in games played, triples and RBI...Led all Pirates farmhands in games... of triples and a run scored in two games for South Africa...Hit consecutive Made 86 appearances (83 starts) at second base and 44 appearances (36 triples off Mexico’s Elmer Dessens in a 14-3 loss...Made professional debut starts) at shortstop...Led Eastern League second basemen in total chances with the GCL Pirates...Led league in sacrifice bunts and caught stealings... (459)...Hit a three-run homer as part of a seven-run third inning on 5/13 at Made 35 starts at second base and 12 at shortstop...Hit his first professional Binghamton while collecting a career-high four RBI...Went 4-for-4 with a on 8/31 in the final game of the season. pair of doubles, two RBI and two runs scored on 6/6 at Trenton...Was ejected MISC: Has been rated by Baseball America as the “Best Defensive Infielder” from 6/18 contest at New Hampshire after benches cleared during an on-field in the Pirates minor league system each of the last five seasons (2013-2017). altercation (received a three-game suspension and served it from 6/20-22)... Hit .326 (28-for-86) with three triples and four homers in 26 games during PERSONAL: Mpho Gift Ngoepe (full name is pronounced mm-POH the month of July...Recorded a walkoff squeeze bunt that scored Keon n-GO-pay)...Mpho translates to “Gift” in the Sotho language...Graduated Broxton on 8/12 vs. Trenton. from Rand Park High School in South Africa...His mother, Maureen, worked for a team called the Mets in Randburg, South Africa...Was featured in a 2013: Played for South Africa in the World Baseball Classic qualifiers (went Sports Illustrated article (August 2009) entitled “A Gift From Africa” which 1-for-9 with six walks in three games)...Hit .212 (67-for-316) in 100 games covered how he started his baseball career, his upbringing and time with the between Altoona and High-A Bradenton...Made all defensive appearances Pirates since moving from South Africa...Left Africa for an MLB academy in at shortstop...Played for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. Italy, where the Pirates spotted him...Signed by Pirates scout Tom Randolph.

LIFETIME BATTING STATISTICS YEAR CLUB AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SH SF HP BB SO SB CS OBP SLG E 2009 GCL Pirates .238 47 160 24 38 4 0 1 9 *8 0 4 21 52 13 *9 .341 .281 6 2010 Bradenton .250 2 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 .400 .250 1 State College .205 64 229 30 47 13 5 1 20 7 3 2 36 68 11 7 .315 .319 14 2011 West Virginia .306 25 85 14 26 5 1 2 5 1 0 0 7 14 3 3 .359 .459 1 GCL Pirates (#) .167 2 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 .286 .167 0 2012 Bradenton .232 124 456 66 106 11 5 9 36 11 3 5 63 131 22 14 .330 .338 21 2013 Altoona .177 72 220 29 39 10 2 3 16 4 3 4 28 82 10 3 .278 .282 10 Bradenton .292 28 96 17 28 7 3 0 6 5 0 1 21 35 7 1 .424 .427 3 2014 Altoona .238 131 437 58 104 17 9 9 52 7 2 2 51 135 13 8 .319 .380 11 2015 Altoona .260 71 246 31 64 12 2 3 25 5 0 5 24 66 3 6 .338 .362 12 Indianapolis .246 21 61 5 15 4 0 0 1 4 0 0 6 15 1 2 .313 .311 4 2016 Indianapolis .217 102 332 40 72 20 1 8 27 6 1 3 31 130 5 2 .289 .355 7 Minor League Totals .232 689 2332 314 541 103 28 36 197 58 12 27 289 731 88 55 .322 .346 90 (#)Injury Rehab Assignment (*)Led League Signed by Pittsburgh as a non-drafted free agent on 9/29/08. WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC STATISTICS YEAR TEAM AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SH SF HP BB SO SB CS OBP SLG E 2009 South Africa .400 2 5 1 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 .500 1.200 0 WBC Totals .400 2 5 1 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 .500 1.200 0