"The past three offseasons I had to get a full-time job to pay my car payment, insurance and other stuff," the 25-year-old said. "I was working an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job in a mailroom, and this was the first time I could just do the baseball thing.
"I worked out every day at PNC Park, and I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. I'm just ready to go to spring training."
Sharpless went 3-1 with a 1.83 ERA in 37 games split between Class AA Altoona and Class AAA Indianapolis in 2006. In 54 innings, the righty recorded nine saves and 60 strikeouts while holding opponents to a mere .202 batting average.
"I had a phenomenal year as far as goals I set for myself," the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Sharpless said. "Last year was a dream come true. I was happy enough just to get called up to Triple-A and for me to pitch in the (All-Star) Futures Game was a dream come true. Then basically a month later I get called up to the big leagues and it was just phenomenal."
A true homegrown prospect out of nearby Freedom High School in Beaver, Pa., Sharpless made 14 appearances with the Pirates, going 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings. He allowed seven hits, two runs and 11 walks while striking out seven.
"I was more nervous and excited playing for the Pirates, the team grew up following and the team I grew up rooting for," he explained. "To have my friends and family come to a lot of home games was very special to me."
Although his time in Pittsburgh was short, Sharpless still walked away with a wealth of knowledge he gained from his experienced peers.
"I was always asking Salomon (Torres) questions," he said. "He showed me how to throw his split-finger fastball and that really helped me out a lot.
"Just to see how (the other members of the bullpen) approached the game, how they approached their day and how they get their work done was very beneficial day."
Sharpless hopes his experience can help him land a spot in a bullpen he believes has a lot of potential.
"We have a lot of confidence in each other," Sharpless said. "With (Mike Gonzalez) gone, it hurts a little bit. But we saw Salomon (Torres) step up last year and do a fantastic job as the closer, and you have Matt Capps who had a phenomenal year. You have John Grabow and Damaso Marte, who are two tough left-handed pitchers. I think the bullpen is going to be pretty darn good."
As Sharpless continues to prepare for Feb. 15, when pitchers and catchers officially report to the Pirates' spring training facilities in Bradenton, the youngster has a few more goals to accomplish.
"At first I wanted to slim down a little bit, but as we started going I got stronger and stronger," he said. "I put on five pounds, but those were five good pounds. I just want to build my legs up and get stronger in that area."