RADIO
Joey Gallo Provides Power, Little Else
7 years agoTexas Rangers first baseman Joey Gallo represents the dictionary definition of a “three-true outcomes” slugger, hitting 41 home runs with a 14.1% walk rate and a ghastly 36.8% strikeout percentage, somehow hitting more homers than singles in 2017. He is an all-or-nothing hitter, and while that approach isn’t changing, the 24-year old showed the ability to make adjustments mid-season, leading to an increase in contact and reduced strikeouts in the second half. Gallo’s natural power helped him achieve hard contact an astounding 46.4% of the time, so even marginal gains in contact could have the slugger approaching 50 home runs in 2018. Despite multi-position eligibility, prodigious pop, and youth, Gallo is a classic post-hype sleeper currently going 281st overall in drafts. There are few options with such upside going this late in drafts, and you could draft him five rounds earlier and still get value.
