Chicago Cubs' top prospect Kris Bryant has been one of the bigger stories during the offseason and spring training, but let's not forget about Texas Rangers' prospect Joey Gallo, who rivaled Bryant's power numbers in the minors last season.
The 21-year-old is batting .333/.429/.667 with four runs scored, two home runs, five RBIs and two stolen bases in eight spring training games to follow up a spectacular campaign with High Class-A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Frisco (126 games) in 2014, during which he slashed .271/.394/.615 with 97 runs scored, 42 home runs and 106 RBIs.
However, since his primary position is third base and his possible transition to the outfield is probably not as far along as the Rangers would like, it's looks as if Gallo's promotion to the major league roster could be delayed. Texas picked up third baseman Adrian Beltre's 2016 option earlier in the offseason, which could foreshadow is move to the outfield, or maybe the fact that the Rangers just don't believe he'll be 100% ready within the next two seasons.
"Until he learns how to hit minor league pitching at a higher clip for a better average, there is no reason to hurry his climb yet," writes Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Gallo is batting .263 for his pro career with 429 strikeouts and 185 walks. He must show he can make consistent contact before making the big jump. Power hitters are seldom great contact hitters, but this average and strikeout ratio need to improve before a promotion."
In fact, according to Minor League Central, Gallo had the lowest zone-contact percentage (64.2%) of anybody in the minor leagues. This statistic is calculated by dividing the number of pitches on which contact was made on pitches inside the strike zone by swings on pitches inside the strike zone.
However, FanGraphs.com provides some positive insight regarding Gallo and his contact/strikeout problem.
"Gallo's ridiculous power numbers drive his rosy forecast, but it also helps that he does a little more than just crank homers. He posted a healthy 16% BB% last year, and walked more often than his league at both minor league stops. His projection also gets a boost from his strong BABIP (batting average on balls in play), which shows he hits the ball hard, even when it doesn't clear the fence. Both of these characteristics have enabled him maintain respectable on-base numbers - in lieu of his strikeouts - and could mean good things for his future as a major-leaguer."
The youngster is already off to a good start in facing major league pitching in spring training. He has struck out only three times in 18 at-bats and has induced three walks. Assuming he continues his success in spring training and gets a quick promotion to Triple-A when the 2015 season starts, General Manager Jon Daniels may have an interesting decision to make as the year progresses.
For good measure, here's a video of Gallo cranking a three-run bomb this week.
