Joey Gallo is very good at hitting the ball over the fence. In fact, he did it Tuesday in his first game since the Texas Rangers recalled him.
It came in the fifth inning of the Rangers' 6-3 loss to the Oakland A's. Like most Gallo blasts, it was impressive—a no-doubt drive to left-center field off Oakland starter Sonny Gray that might as well have lit up the scoreboard the moment it touched his bat.
Now, the question becomes: Can the 22-year-old showcase his prodigious pop frequently enough to stick in The Show and help the Rangers win a second consecutive American League West title?
Gallo, a Texas first-round pick in 2012, made his MLB debut last season. He showed flashes, hitting six home runs in 36 games, including one that traveled an estimated "true distance" of 471 feet, according to ESPN's Home Run Tracker, which tied him for the 13th-longest homer of the season.
At the same time, Gallo fell victim to his Kryptonite, striking out 57 times in 123 plate appearances. He was sent down in late June and didn't get another taste of the big leagues until September.
Now, after posting a .939 OPS with 19 homers in 70 games with the Round Rock Express, Gallo is back in Arlington.
Texas threw him straight into the fire, giving him a start at first base against Oakland and slotting him sixth in the order.
The Rangers are far from anemic offensively. They rank among the top five in the AL in hits and runs scored.
But with the loss of veteran Prince Fielder to a season-ending neck injury and outfielder Shin-Soo Choo to lower-back inflammation, there are ample opportunities for Gallo to fill in.
The left-handed slugger has seen time in the minors at first, third and both the corner outfield slots, so he gives manager Jeff Banister flexibility.
He matters for this season, obviously, as the 58-43 Rangers try to maintain their 3.5-game lead over the Houston Astros.
But he's also part of an impressive young core of hitters that includes outfielder Nomar Mazara, second baseman Rougned Odor and infielder Jurickson Profar, as Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan opined:
Speaking of which, it's possible Texas could move Gallo from a position of strength before the trade deadline.
On July 17, Passan reported the Rangers might be willing to part with Gallo to acquire one of the Tampa Bay Rays' controllable starters, such as Chris Archer or Jake Odorizzi. And ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney noted on July 20 that some rival evaluators believe Texas is open to moving Gallo for the right price.
The return, undoubtedly, would need to be massive—likely an ace-level arm to pair with Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish and shore up a wobbly rotation that general manager Jeff Daniels called the team's top priority, per Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The point is, Gallo is not untouchable.
As long as he's in a Rangers uniform, however, the idea is for him to change games with that head-turning pop.
Gallo remains strikeout-prone, as he proved by whiffing twice Tuesday. But there's room in today's MLB for a guy with power who K's a lot. And Gallo can get on base, as his .371 career minor league OBP attests.
Mostly, the Rangers need a spark. They've gone 7-14 in July and have watched the Lone Star State rival 'Stros creep too close for comfort.
When Fielder and Choo landed on the disabled list, the Rangers called up outfielder Delino DeShields and infielder Hanser Alberto. At the time, Daniels said it was about "versatility," per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
"We did talk about Joey, and if he keeps hitting the way he is, I expect at some point we'll see him," Daniels said, per Grant.
Some point has arrived. And it coincides with a scuffling Rangers squad that still has an opportunity to wrestle control of the wide-open Junior Circuit.
Joey Gallo hitting the ball over the fence on a semi-nightly basis would be an excellent start.
And you know what? We're buying. The kid got a taste last season. While he's still young, he's a year older and, presumably, a year wiser.
He's not going to quit whiffing, just as a zebra can't change its stripes. But enough homers and walks will make the swings and misses tolerable.
Maybe it's the intoxicating effect of that big homer he hit Tuesday. Maybe we're blinded by the allure of the long ball. But it says here Gallo's power—and the Rangers—will play deep into October.
All statistics current as of July 26 and courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com.
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