Rangers’ Gallo Ready to Return to Action

Joey Gallo, Grading on the Curve’s No. 16 overall prospect, had to wait one more night to make his 2015 debut. Set to return from extended spring training, Gallo watched the Frisco Rough Riders of Double-A’s Texas League get rained out Friday night.

Gallo is the 21-year old slugging star and top offensive prospect in the Rangers system. He began this season in extended spring training working his way back from surgery to his left ankle. He had a bone removed on April 3rd and is finally healed.

"“Any time I put pressure on it it felt like someone was putting a knife in my heel,” Gallo told The Dallas Morning News on April 7th. “I couldn’t even walk. They said it was just an extra bone back there and I must’ve did something to jar it loose. After that you’ve got to get it injected or take it out. I decided to take it out.”"

Gallo’s power is second to none in Minor League baseball and with Kris Bryant finally in Chicago, he is the most feared power hitter in the land. He made is mark known last year at the MLB Futures Game where he took home the MVP Award after shattering a windshield in the parking lot with one of his moonshots:

He is coming off of back-to-back 40 home run seasons, and before going down with the ankle injury, he had an impressive Spring Training with the Rangers. The left handed slugger batted .250 with two home runs and 6 RBI before being shut down for surgery.

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Why isn’t the 21-year old third baseman playing in Texas then? They are clearly in a state of restructuring and, despite bringing back former MVP Josh Hamilton, are in a stage where looking towards younger prospects and options seems to be the direction they should be going.

One problem is that 36-year old third baseman Adrian Beltre refuses to get old. Last year saw a dip in his power numbers (with 19, it was his first year as a Ranger not hitting 30 or more home runs) but he still slashed a very impressive .324/.388/.492. Should Beltre still be producing come July and the Rangers are out of it, you can expect the Rangers to move him and begin the Joey Gallo Era.

The primary reason Gallo is in the minors is his plate discipline. Despite grading out with 80 raw power and consecutive 40 home run seasons, Gallo also has back-to-back season with 170-plus strikeouts. This isn’t the Major Leagues where big time strikeout power hitters strike out 180 times in nearly 600 at bats. Gallo has been striking out at this rate in 411 (2013) and 439 (2014) at bats, and that’s an absurdly high ratio.

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The plus side is that Gallo learned to draw walks with his high strikeout rate last season. He jumped from a mere 50 walks in 2013 to an impressive 87 walks in 2014. If Gallo can demonstrate that same plate discipline again in 2015, and even improve on it, there is no way the Rangers will be able to hold him back.

Still only 21-years old and needing just a bit more time to tune up, Rangers fans can exhibit patience with the young slugger. They won’t have to wait a year to see Gallo mash home runs. It will be a matter of months.