Mar 23, 2015; Surprise, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Alex Gonzalez (72) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Breakout Prospect/Player:
Heath: Alex Gonzalez. We saw a little bit of Chi Chi in spring training with some thinking he may win the last starting spot. I do believe that we will see him in Arlington before we know it.
Ryan: Ryan Rua, I think he continues to build this year off a solid short stint with the team at the end of last year.
Lisa: Delino DeShields, only because Rougned Odor had his breakout moment last year.
Leslie: Breakout prospect: Joey Gallo.
David Hill: Lewis Brinson. After being exposed at High-A last year, he corrects his swing and cements himself as one of the top prospects in the game.
Jason: Let’s double down on Chi Chi here. If he’s the best pitcher, that means he’s having a breakout season, right?
Colin: Everyone will say Odor. I’m hopeful it’s the other side of the bag. I’ve been waiting on Elvis Andrus to showcase his talent on a consistent basis for a couple of years now. There are always flashes. But then there are brain farts. I know he’s never going to hit a dozen homers, but wouldn’t that be a wonderful thing if he stood up and had the career year? It’s 162 games Elvis, be there.
Ace: Lewis Brinson. Eliminated due to last season’s breakout-ism: Joey Gallo, Alex “Chi Chi” Gonzalez, Jorge Alfaro and Nomar Mazara.
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The Rangers strength in numbers comes from the lower levels where all those names reside (AA or lower). But there’s also another tier of names that aren’t often discussed on a National (or even local) level because to make the headlines as a prospect you need to be amazing
like
Gallo or brand new
like
Gonzalez. Usually, that doesn’t even work.
Brinson, 20, is an athletic, defensively profound, all-around prospect who represents the scary potential of being a young player in a Minor League system. His career could easily go both ways, and I don’t think I need to elaborate.
But I think Brinson will make a huge jump this year from the fringe National spotlight to the absolute National spotlight. His average dipped upon his promotion to High-A Myrtle Beach and like many prospects in and out of Texas’ system he strikes out far too much, but the 2012 first-round pick out of High School has tools across the board and should be in Arlington impressing us all in a couple years.
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