Pa. dirt used in most MLB stadiums

— crushed shale layered on top of infields — and warning tracks, which are made from Colorado lava rock.

Most of the Pirates’ minor-league affiliates have installed DuraEdge dirt, too. The minor-league stadiums in Indianapolis and Altoona, along with Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., use it.

“Just from an organizational standpoint, it’s very helpful to have your Single, Double, Triple-A fields mirror each other as much as possible,” Mr. Brown said. “That way the players build up a certain level of comfortability and they know what to expect when they’re moving up the ranks.”

Before this season, the team installed a brand-new DuraEdge infield, which Piratesinfielders were quick to praise, although they credited Mr. Brown’s crew more than the silt-to-clay ratio and sand particle size of DuraEdge’s soil. Last year, shortstop Jordy Mercer noticed the field had some wear and tear, causing dirt buildups and bad hops.

“Ours has been amazing this year,” Mr. Mercer said. “They did it right. It needed to be redone, but they did it the right way, and it’s been awesome.”

But perhaps the strongest endorsement came from utility player Sean Rodriguez, who recently returned to the Pirates after a stint with the DuraEdge-less Atlanta Braves at the new SunTrust Park.

“This place has been amazing, since I’ve been back,” Mr. Rodriguez said of PNC Park. “Atlanta, I don’t know, being a new field, I don’t know if they’re still trying to get a feel for how it’s going to work, but I would definitely give this field a way bigger edge than Atlanta right now.”

Who knows? Atlanta may find a solution in Western Pennsylvania.