Minor League Discussion Thread

[Bmurph]

Gallo HR's again tonight

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

My 2014 baseball Prospects of the Year - ESPN

Kris Bryant (Cubs) was K.Law's "2014 Prospect of the Year"....but here are two of the "honorable mentions"..


Joey Gallo | 3B | Texas Rangers

Gallo finished one homer behind Bryant for the overall minor league lead; he led the Class-A Carolina League in homers despite leaving the league in early June and fell one short of tying for the Texas League lead despite not arriving there until, well, early June. Gallo still strikes out too often, 39.5 percent of his at-bats in Double-A after his promotion, but he was the youngest every-day player in the league and showed slight improvement in his contact rate as the summer went on. Of course, nothing he did this year was likely to match the show he put on at the Futures Game.



Nomar Mazara | OF | Texas Rangers

Mazara got a record $5 million bonus back in 2011 as a 16-year-old in the Dominican Republic, but despite great bat speed and a decent approach, he didn't produce much in his first try at full-season ball in 2013. Repeating the Sally League this year, he was still young for the level at age 19 and hit .264/.358/.470, earning a two-level promotion to Double-A, where he hit even better, .306/.381/.518 in 24 games (small sample alert). Mazara always has projected to hit for average and power, but he looked so far away even in his solid summer in 2012 in the Arizona Rookie League that it was hard to imagine he would see the majors before he turned 23. Now he might get there before he reaches the legal drinking age.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

My 2014 baseball Prospects of the Year - ESPN

Kris Bryant (Cubs) was K.Law's "2014 Prospect of the Year"....but here are two of the "honorable mentions"..


Joey Gallo | 3B | Texas Rangers

Gallo finished one homer behind Bryant for the overall minor league lead; he led the Class-A Carolina League in homers despite leaving the league in early June and fell one short of tying for the Texas League lead despite not arriving there until, well, early June. Gallo still strikes out too often, 39.5 percent of his at-bats in Double-A after his promotion, but he was the youngest every-day player in the league and showed slight improvement in his contact rate as the summer went on. Of course, nothing he did this year was likely to match the show he put on at the Futures Game.



Nomar Mazara | OF | Texas Rangers

Mazara got a record $5 million bonus back in 2011 as a 16-year-old in the Dominican Republic, but despite great bat speed and a decent approach, he didn't produce much in his first try at full-season ball in 2013. Repeating the Sally League this year, he was still young for the level at age 19 and hit .264/.358/.470, earning a two-level promotion to Double-A, where he hit even better, .306/.381/.518 in 24 games (small sample alert). Mazara always has projected to hit for average and power, but he looked so far away even in his solid summer in 2012 in the Arizona Rookie League that it was hard to imagine he would see the majors before he turned 23. Now he might get there before he reaches the legal drinking age.

Next year will be very interesting to watch these two as they get closer to trying to be MLB ready. Mazara may end up being a stud.