Rookie Ball Sluggers

I don't put a lot of weight in rookie ball numbers, and I still haven't found any significant indicators that rookie ball offensive production translates into future production at higher levels. But, I do like to look down the list of rookie ball participants now and again, and make note of any stand out players.

• Wilmer Flores -- Of all the young hitters in rookie ball, I probably like Flores the best. He just turned 17, has 7 home runs, 9 doubles, and 3 triples in 183 plate appearances, with only 20 strike outs. A young shortstop with his power usually finds their way onto a major league roster without much trouble.
  
• Angel Morales -- The stats Morales has put up are almost unbelievable, and in several ways. In 156 plate appearances, he has 54 strikeouts, and 45 hits, including 10 home runs, a triple, and 9 doubles. At 18 the power production is impressive, but his strike out totals are astounding. Since he has only 18 walks, it's almost like Morales either misses completely, or he drives it over the fence, yet oddly enough, his OBP is still at .436. That puts his BABIP at an amazing .473! Who knows what will happen with this guy at higher levels, but I'm guessing that the contact rate will suffer at the expense of his strikeouts.
• Evan Bigley -- At the age of 21, Bigley is a bit old for rookie ball, and it shows. He has 21 extra base hits in 149 plate appearances, and a slugging percentage of .624. However, he also has 30 strikeouts and only 8 walks.
• Jon Gilmore -- With a league leading 18 doubles and a .325 average, Gilmore has put up some good numbers all around. At 19 years old, he's not exactly playing above his age, but he looks to be ready for a new challenge. Maybe not much star potential here, but an above average infielder is a good thing to have on any team.

So those are the rookie ball sluggers. I'll be interested to see how these guys do in A ball and above, but I think we'll being hearing more about them in the future.


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