The legend of Joey Gallo began well before the Texas Rangers made him their first round pick of the June 2012 Draft. Gallo had always displayed otherworldly power. You pretty much have to when you grow up in the same city (Las Vegas) as one Bryce Harper—that is, if you want to get noticed.
And Gallo has garnered attention, that’s for sure.
On the scouting scale of 40-80, Gallo’s power grades an 80. Gallo’s swing produces such a force that if compared to a tornado, it would gauge as an easy F5—yet it’s destructive power focuses solely on the opposition’s pitchers.
What impresses me most about Gallo’s romp through High-A this season, is his improved walk-rate and decreased strikeout percentage. After all, what good is prodigious power if you can’t make contact? But let’s face it, it’s way more fun to talk shop about the pop.
Joey Gallo’s 21 home runs for the High-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans earned him a promotion to the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders last Sunday. His minor-league best 22nd home run—in his first game with the ‘Riders—earned Frisco a dramatic, come-from-behind victory.
Talk about making a great first impression.
Down 6-4 with two runners on and two outs, Gallo connected to lift a line drive deep into the left-center field bleachers for the walk-off dong. What better way for MLB.com’s fourth-ranked prospect to announce his presence in the friendly confines of Frisco? Well, that’s Joey Gallo, ladies and gentlemen—the only question that remains is what will he do for an encore? Better buy your RoughRiders tickets ASAP to find out…
For all the well-founded hoopla surrounding Joey Gallo’s rapid ascension, it’s easy to dismiss the quick rise of right-hander that was playing college ball just over a year ago. Alex “Chi-Chi” Gonzalez, ranked by MLB.com as the sixth best prospect, is no slouch himself.
Gonzalez, like Gallo, showed he had no problems in High-A. The right-hander from Delray Beach, Florida was 5-2 with a 2.62 ERA over 11 starts while with Myrtle Beach. The 23rd overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft out of Oral Roberts University, Gonzalez has seen his ERA steadily drop every time he has moved up a level in the minor leagues. In 65.1 innings thus far this year, Gonzalez has also flashed his finest strikeout-to-walk ratio (SO:BB) of his career, at 3.06. If this is a trend that continues at Frisco, he may not be in Double-A for long…
What really stands out about Gonzalez is his advanced approach to pitching. Many scouts envision him as making a solid contribution at the big league level as quickly as 2015.
At 6’2” tall, he has a thick, athletic frame which helps power his fastball to a peak velocity of 95 MPH. Gonzalez’s slider is another plus offering that has sharp bite, and can be used as a swing-and-miss offering. His changeup and curveball both grade as near-average but round out a repertoire that could easily support him as a solid, number-three starter in the big leagues.
Upcoming RoughRiders Games
Don’t miss out on your chance to catch Joey Gallo and Chi-Chi Gonzalez live and in person at Dr. Pepper Ballpark. Gonzalez makes his Frisco debut tonight at 7:05 PM against the Midland Rockhounds. After tonight, the ‘Riders hit the road for a 12-game road trip and don’t return to the friendly confines until June 25.
