Chase

Vallot

The 19-year-old finished a triple shy of the cycle. Vallot struggled in his first year with Lexington in 2015 (.219 AVG in 279 at-bats) but has turned things around with a brilliant start to the 2016 campaign. Vallot owns the South Atlantic League’s second-highest slugging percentage and is third in OPS. He’s also tied for second in the league with eight round-trippers. Unfortunately he’s also been a frequent strikeout victim, whiffing 57 times in only 136 at-bats.

The home run was the first of the season for Vallot, who’s batting .259/.394/.444 with three extra-base hits through the first eight games of his full-season debut. The 18-year-old catcher flashed his offensive upside in the Rookie Appalachian League last summer after the Royals selected him 40th overall in the draft, posting a .732 OPS with seven home runs and 14 doubles in 53 games. However, it came with a .215 batting average and 36.5% strikeout rate, thus highlighting his rawness as a hitter. Vallot is very much a project and many years away from the major leagues, but the potential is there for an everyday backstop with power and on-base skills.