Prospect Roundup: Games of July 8

Rangers 3B Joey Gallo, Triple-A Round Rock: 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, R -- Gallo skipped over Triple-A before making his Major League debut last month, so the last week has been his first in the Pacific Coast League. He's been the same old Gallo there, slugging a pair of home runs over his first seven games. The 21-year-old now has 15 homers through 67 games -- a 36-homer pace over 162 games -- which is just a hair short of his results in 2013 and '14. The strikeouts are always going to be there for Gallo, but as long as they come with 40-homer power, there will be room for him in Arlington.

Astros RHP Mark Appel, Triple-A Fresno: 6 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- The 23-year-old picked up his first Triple-A win in his third Pacific Coast League start. Despite possessing well above average stuff for a Major League pitcher, the Houston native has yet to dominate with any sort of consistency in the Minors. He struck out just 49 in 63 1/3 innings with Double-A Corpus Christi and has 11 punchouts in 15 1/3 frames with the Grizzlies.

Pirates 1B Josh Bell, Double-A Altoona: 3-for-7, HR, 2B, 4 RBI, R, 2 K -- Bell is a hard prospect to pin down. There's no doubting he can hit. He makes a ton of contact, especially for a player with his size and strength, and that's why he's hitting .313 with a .380 on-base percentage. He also has easy plus raw strength and has the look of a hulking, power-hitting first baseman. And yet his career high for home runs is just 13, and he has just four of them in 79 games with the Curve this season. Bell is battling to become average defensively at first, so there's a ton of pressure on his bat to provide value. There isn't much doubt at this point that he'll hit enough to warrant a Major League roster spot. The real question is if the over-the-fence results will be there, as even high-average hitters need to produce some four-baggers to justify a spot at first.

Mets 1B Dominic Smith, Class A Advanced St. Lucie: 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, R, BB -- Smith has had a resurgent season in the Florida State League, putting a disappointing 2014 campaign behind him with a .299/.345/.423 line. Now, the left-handed hitter finds himself in similar territory as Bell, albeit with a shorter offensive track record but much better defense at first. Smith has three home runs in 72 games this season, and that ties a career high. That kind of power won't cut it for a first baseman, even if he tries to offset that with a plethora of doubles in the left-center gap. Most likely, Smith will continue to be a divisive prospect because of his unusual profile, even if there's no doubting he has some legitimate baseball skills.

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• Smith among 10 named league Players of the Month for June »

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Padres OF Michael Gettys, Class A Fort Wayne: 2-for-4, HR, RBI, R, SB -- The 2014 second-rounder was your prototypical high-risk, toolsy outfielder coming out of Georgia. After a promising April, Gettys' numbers plummeted in May and June and he finished last month with a .218/.238/.351 line. He's been outstanding so far in July, though, posting a .433/.455/.667 line with a homer, two steals and just four strikeouts over 30 at-bats. Gettys' ceiling is sky high, and if he can build off this recent hot streak, he could emerge as a top prospect in the Padres' system -- the tools are certainly there.

Red Sox SS Javier Guerra, Class A Greenville: 4-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, R -- The Panamanian shortstop gets outstanding reviews for his defense, and he's providing plenty with the stick this year, too. The 19-year-old has a .287/.338/.480 line, slugging nine homers and stealing six bases over 67 games. There's a bit of swing-and-miss for the left-handed hitter, but he's showing remarkable power for an infielder listed at just 155 pounds. Guerra, Rafael Devers and Yoan Moncada are at the forefront of an impressive pack of infield prospects who will be ascending through the Red Sox's system in the next few years.

Twins RHP Felix Jorge, Class A Cedar Rapids: 8 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, BB, 7 K -- The 21-year-old has continued to dominate in the Midwest League, posting a 2.20 ERA over 13 starts with the Kernels. Jorge struggled with Cedar Rapids last year and had to reconstruct his confidence with Rookie-level Elizabethton late last year. He's returned as a strike-throwing machine, walking just 17 over 82 innings after allowing 20 free passes in 39 frames with the Kernels last year.