Joey Gallo, the slugging third baseman/outfielder who ranked as a consensus top-20 prospect coming into the season, has been called up to the Rangers for his MLB debut in the wake of Adrian Beltre’s thumb injury.
Gallo blasted 42 homers in 126 games between Single-A and Double-A last season and picked up where he left off this year, hitting .314 with nine homers and a 1.061 OPS in 34 games at Double-A.
He strikes out a ton--478 times in 330 games as a minor leaguer, including 164 times in 102 games at Double-A--which is why many people are skeptical about Gallo’s ability to hit for a good batting average in the majors. His power potential, however, has never been in question and 40-homer power can make even a .250 hitter plenty valuable.
Beltre is expected to miss less than a month and the Rangers have indicated that Gallo’s stay in the majors may not last beyond that, but if he’s thriving as a 21-year-old big leaguer it’ll be tough to send him back down to the minors.
