Why the Texas Rangers Should Not Rush Joey Gallo

Is Joey Gallo a powerhouse at the plate? Yes. Is Joey Gallo exciting to watch? Yes. Can Joey Gallo make it to the big leagues? Yes. Should Joey Gallo be with the Texas Rangers this season? No.

I think everyone needs to take a deep breath and relax.

There is no need to rush the 21-year old up to the majors. Joey Gallo is a third baseman, not an outfielder like some have suggested. Which means in all likelihood Gallo will be Adrian Beltre’s replacement when he decides to retire, and he is finally honing his skills at the hot corner.

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He is a young, talented ballplayer, but that doesn’t mean he is ready for The Show. Gallo needs to improve both defensively and offensively. He may have hit 42 homers last season, but he also struck out 179 times while only drawing 87 walks. He is still developing the patience needed to be a consistent threat at the plate. It would make absolutely no sense to bring Gallo to Texas only to get less playing time on the field and at the plate.

He needs and deserves to get regular game time in order to improve and further develop his natural talents. To Joey Gallo’s credit he is a true student of the game and recognizes where he needs to improve. He worked with Jason Giambi in the offseason and we have already seen improvement in his swing during Spring Training.

Gallo’s swing-and-miss tendencies still make him a high-risk player, but the remarkable improvement and tantalizing upside makes him a potential MVP candidate if everything clicks into place” ~ Baseball America Prospect Handbook, 2015

Even though Joey Gallo has a plus-plus arm (extremely powerful), scouts give both his speed and defense a 40 (below-average) on their 20-80 scale. And this just helps me drive home my point – leave Joey Gallo alone.

I’m tired of seeing the headlines that the Texas Rangers now need Gallo more than ever because we lost Yu Darvish for the season. How in the world is bringing up Gallo going to replace an ace pitcher? Easy, it won’t.

Would Joey Gallo help drive in runs? Sure. Would Joey Gallo crush balls above the right field deck? No doubt. Would watching Joey Gallo hit those moonshots be exciting for Texas Rangers fans? ABSO-FREAKIN-LUTELY. Would Joey Gallo thrive and flourish getting in only about half the playing time? No.

So, let’s all just slow this fast-track of the young third baseman. We need let him have time in the minors he needs so that when he does get his shot with Texas he’ll be ready, and we will get to enjoy his talents for a long, long, long time.

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