Prospect Projections: AL West rookies

Kris Bryant is gone from the Minor Leagues. So are Kyle Schwarber and Miguel Sano. Heck, even Mike Hessman retired.

But there's one slugger left whose profile screams home run champ, and that's Joey Gallo. 

Ranked as the game's No. 9 overall prospect by MLB.com two weeks ago, the 22-year-old earned the only 80 grade for power on the 20-80 scale -- A.J. Reed is second with a 65 -- and the proof is present in the pudding. Gallo hit 40 and 42 homers in his first two full seasons in 2013 and 2014, and last year had the best isolated slugging percentage among Top 100 prospects at .280. Reed, who led the Minors with 34 homers, was second at .272. 

Steamer600, the projection system used here and first discussed in our piece on AL East rookies, took all of this into account and projected that Gallo would hit 35 homers if given 600 plate appearances in the Majors. That's third-most among all potential big leaguers behind only Giancarlo Stanton (41) and Chris Davis (36).

There's no denying that, with his power, Gallo possesses one of the loudest tools among the current crop of prospects.

"You can't teach power like that," Rangers director of player development Mike Daly said. "He's just so physically gifted at 6-foot-5, 230, and that's what allows him to show his power. But more than that, he's a pretty smart hitter. He's been able to make adjustments. He's not just a home run hitter to right field. He can certainly hit a lot to left-center. It's that combination of being a smart hitter, his willingness to work and his physical gifts that make the whole package."

But with great power comes a great strikeout rate. 

Last season, Gallo began by torching Double-A ball (.314/.425/.636, nine homers in 34 games) before moving up to the Majors. But the then-21-year-old was quickly found out and finished his first big league foray with a .204/.301/.417 line and 46.3 percent strikeout rate. Similar issues arose during his 53-game stint at Triple-A Round Rock from June 30-Sept. 1, when he had a .195/.289/.450 line and a 39.5 percent strikeout rate. 

With his long and powerful swing, Gallo has been prone to the K since being drafted 39th overall out of a Las Vegas high school in 2012. His career strikeout rate in the Minors is 34.6 percent, and as he's climbed the ladder, the Rangers have emphasized improving his two-strike approach to make more contact.  

"When you know that about half your at-bats are going to go to two strikes, the basics are seeing the ball early out of the pitcher's hand, knowing what their out pitch is, what pitch they're going to rely on to get you out," Daly said. "Each pitch is a battle. You either need to put the barrel on the ball or let it go for a ball and understand that you're really competing. With Joey, he needs to win more pitches with two strikes."

Steamer600 projects Gallo to produce a .225/.307/.471 line with a 36.7 percent strikeout rate (220 in 600 plate appearances), if he spends the entire season in the Majors.

Daly, however, points out that not only is Gallo still young at 22, he's also shown an ability to improve each year, no matter the level. He batted .245 with a .334 on-base percentage at Class A Hickory in 2013 but saw those numbers jump to .323 and .463 in 58 games at Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach the following season. In his second go-round in the Texas League, his average and OBP climbed from .232/.334 in 2014 to .314/.425 over the first two months of 2015. 

There's one major roadblock for Gallo to make the jump to the highest level, however, namely All-Star third baseman Adrian Beltre. Despite playing him in the outfield for the first time last season, the Rangers will continue to work Gallo at the hot corner this spring, where he'll be behind Beltre, who's entering the final year of his contract. Gallo's likely ticketed for a return to Round Rock, where he'll look to improve on his Pacific Coast League numbers and wait for another shot to bring his light-tower power to the game's biggest stage. 

"You look in the industry, what power numbers look like now, and we can say we're lucky Joey is in our system," Daly said. "You could say power's down in baseball, but Joey continues to show power everywhere he's gone. And he's not just a power hitter; he wants to be known as a complete hitter with power."

 Texas Rangers

Most ready: Gallo. See above.

Give it time: Lewis Brinson's 2015 ascent was so fast and so fascinating that you can't help but think he'd be worthy of a Major League look. The 21-year-old outfielder climbed from Class A Advanced High Desert to Triple-A Round Rock and was an offensive force at all three stops, finishing with a .332/.403/.601 line, 59 extra-base hits and 18 steals in 100 games. Steamer projects he'd have the production of a role player in the Majors, albeit an intriguing one, with his combination of power and speed. Though he earned his first non-roster invitation to Spring Training, Brinson likely will be back in Round Rock, where he'll work to prove that last season was no fluke.

Wild card: Drew Robinson's ceiling isn't nearly as high as Brinson's, but from a power and base-stealing standpoint, he might be just as interesting as a bench option in 2016. What's more, he's played every position in the Minors, except catcher and center field, so the Rangers should like his versatility. The 23-year-old will need to cut down on his strikeouts (143 in 455 at-bats in 2015) to make The Show.

Top-100 talent: Scouting reports love Nomar Mazara more than these projections do as he placed No. 18 overall in MLB.com's updated rankings. The 20-year-old left-handed slugger, who's on the 40-man roster, should make for an exciting outfield combination with Brinson at Round Rock to start the season. Luis Ortiz, the 30th overall pick in 2014, had a promising first full season with a 1.80 ERA, 46 strikeouts and nine walks over 50 innings at Class A Hickory and will get a chance to add innings (and avoid California League disaster) at High Desert.

Most ready: One of the Astros' biggest questions this spring will be at first base after Chris Carter was non-tendered. Former Top 100 prospect Jon Singleton seems to be the leader in the clubhouse, with Luis Valbuena and Marwin Gonzalez as other Major League options. There are two others who aren't on the 40-man roster in Tyler White and A.J. Reed. Even though Reed was MiLB.com's 2015 Offensive Player of the Year, Steamer prefers White for the 2016 season, given his track record at the higher levels. The 25-year-old did particularly well at Triple-A Fresno, where he put up a .362/.467/.559 line and walked more times (42) than he struck out (38) in 57 games at the end of the campaign. With only 14 projected homers over 600 plate appearances, White might not bring the traditional pop of a first baseman, but his .339 OBP is the third-highest projection among Astros hitters. He'll get the chance to prove he belongs, thanks to a non-roster invitation to Spring Training.

Give it time: Reed has been the more attractive first-base option for Houston, given his status as MLB.com's No. 40 overall prospect. The 2014 Golden Spikes Award winner slashed .340/.432/.612 with 34 homers and 127 RBIs at Class A Advanced Lancaster and Double-A Corpus in his first full season and is likely the Astros' first baseman of the future. However, with only half a season of Double-A under his belt, Steamer would like to see a replication of those numbers at higher levels before showing projections that say he's close to his potential. Barring him setting the Grapefruit League on fire, Reed is headed to Fresno, where he'll wait for the Super Two deadline to pass before being considered for a big league spot.

Wild card: At the other corner of the infield, the Astros look like they're going with Valbuena after the departure of Jed Lowrie. Valbuena hit a career-high 25 homers last season but batted .224 with a .310 on-base percentage. The 30-year-old becomes a free agent at the end of the season and, if he struggles, Houston could turn to Colin Moran, who enjoyed a bit of a resurgence with a .306/.381/.459 line at Double-A last season. Steamer thinks Moran would be a slightly subpar Major Leaguer right now, so with some more seasoning in the PCL, the 2013 first-rounder could play his way into the big league conversation by the second half. (Moran also must work on his range at the hot corner before being deemed Major League-ready.)

Top-100 talent: Alex Bregman, the second overall pick in last year's Draft, is likely closer to the Majors than his Steamer projections show. The LSU product hit .294/.366/.415 with four homers and 13 steals in 66 games at Class A Quad Cities and Class A Advanced Lancaster and is likely ticketed for Double-A to start his first full season. Francis Martes worked his way into becoming a top 50 prospect after putting up a 2.04 ERA with 98 strikeouts over a career-high 101 2/3 innings across three levels. The right-hander will be 20 for all of 2016, with the Astros monitoriring his workload with an eye at a 2017 Major League debut.

 Los Angeles Angels

Most ready: The Angels farm system took a sizable hit when the organization traded top prospects Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis to the Braves for Andrelton Simmons. Among those who remain, catcher Jett Bandy looks like he's got the best chance to impact the Major League roster this season. The 25-year-old backstop hit .291/.347/.466 over 87 games in his first season at Triple-A Salt Lake in 2015 and was called up when rosters expanded. Catcher isn't a particularly deep position for the Halos, with Carlos Perez (1.8 projected WAR over 450 plate appearances) and Geovany Soto (0.9 WAR) the only other options on the 40-man roster, so Bandy probably won't have to wait until September before he reaches Anaheim.

Give it time: The 18th overall pick in the 2010 Draft, Kaleb Cowart was once the shining star of the Angels system before seeing that star fade after a couple of down offensive years at Double-A Arkansas in 2013-14. After starting last season at Class A Advanced, he built himself up again by performing well (.323/.395/.491) at Triple-A Salt Lake and spent the rest of the season in the Majors following an Aug. 18 promotion. He struggled at the highest level, going 8-for-46 (.174) with 19 strikeouts, and Steamer coupled that with his previous struggles to project that he'd be well-below replacement level if given a full big league season. It'd likely take a repeat of his PCL numbers to start 2016 for those projections to change, but as a player with experience under his belt, a return call might come too soon for Steamer's liking in case of injury.

Wild card: For all their other faults, the Angels seem fairly set in the rotation. If they do need to call on a top 30 prospect during the 2016 season, the leading candidate might be Nate Smith (No. 3), who impressed with a 2.48 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over 101 2/3 innings at Double-A Arkansas last season before a rough run (7.75 ERA over 36 innings) at Triple-A Salt Lake. Steamer thinks the 24-year-old southpaw won't be a strikeout machine but could be a serviceable spot starter. If he proves that his PCL struggles were due to fatigue, the Angels and projections might like his chances even more.

Top-100 talent: With Newcomb's departure, the Angels have no prospects ranked among MLB.com's top 100.

 Oakland Athletics

Most ready: The A's scooped up Sean Manaea, along with right-hander Aaron Brooks, in a deadline deal with the Royals for half a season of Ben Zobrist, and the left-hander impressed his new organization by posting a 1.90 ERA and 51 strikeouts over 42 2/3 innings at Double-A Midland and a 3.86 ERA with 33 punchouts over 25 2/3 frames in the Arizona Fall League. Steamer thinks he'd be a solid starter in the Majors right now, giving him the fourth-highest projected WAR over 200 innings among A's starters. Health will be the utmost concern for the 24-year-old after he missed time due to abdominal and groin strains while in the Royals system. If he can stay healthy and continues to put up high strikeout numbers, a midseason or September callup isn't out of the question.

Give it time: Matt Olson snuck in at No. 100 in MLB.com's latest rankings, perhaps prompting some A's fans to check his timeline. Because of a lack of immediate standout power at first base -- he hit 17 homers in 466 at-bats last season at Double-A Midland -- Steamer doesn't see him as anything other than replacement-level in the Majors right now. However, he'll get a chance to improve those power numbers when he hits the PCL this spring, and if he can continue to walk in bunches following a 105-walk season in 2015, his profile will become all the more intriguing. 

Wild card: Renato Nunez, who unlike Olson is on the 40-man roster, showed a little more pop than Olson did at Midland with more homers (18) in fewer at-bats (381). And with his primary position being across the diamond at third (where power is at slightly more of a premium), Steamer thinks he'd be a more valuable asset at the Major League level. So although expected starting third baseman Danny Valencia is coming off a career year, Nunez likely will compete with Max Muncy for a callup in case of injury. 

Top-100 talent: Franklin Barreto showed a lot of offensive potential with a .302/.333/.500 line and 13 homers at Class A Advanced Stockton, though a bruised left wrist limited him to 90 games. No one would think that makes him qualified for a jump to the Majors, and Steamer concurs. It's worth noting that Barreto only turns 20 on Feb. 27 and is well along the fast track, with a 2017 ETA possible, if not a callup this September. 

 Seattle Mariners

Most ready: Perhaps no team did more tinkering with its roster this offseason than the Mariners, and as part of all that movement, the organization picked up No. 6 prospect Boog Powell in a trade with the Rays. Now in his third organization since being drafted in the 20th round by the A's in 2012, the left-handed-hitting center fielder has done everything except hit for power in the Minors. He produced a .295/.385/.392 line with 18 steals but only three homers in 117 games between Triple-A Durham and Double-A last season, and Steamer believes that kind of production would translate fairly well to the Majors. Since the trade, Powell's been added to the 40-man roster but sits behind fellow acquistions Leonys Martin and Nori Aoki on the depth chart in center and left, respectively. For what it's worth, Steamer believes Powell would be the most productive Mariners outfielder over 600 plate appearances, even beating out Nelson Cruz (1.5 projected WAR).

Give it time: As recently as 2014, when he hit .297 with 31 homers at Class A Advanced High Desert and Double-A Jackson, D.J. Peterson looked like he had the potential to be a stalwart in the mddle of the M's lineup for years to come. Last season changed that outlook as the 24-year-old third baseman batted .223/.290/.346 in 93 games back in Jackson and played only four contests with Triple-A Tacoma, due to a strained Achilles. Given his most recent performance, Steamer doesn't think the Mariners should be in any rush to get the 2013 first-rounder to the Majors.

Wild card: David Rollins was taken in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft before missing about half the 2015 season due to an 80-game suspension for PEDs. After a seven-game rehab assignment, the 26-year-old left-hander stuck in the Majors and struggled, putting up a 7.56 ERA and 1.80 WHIP over 25 innings out of the bullpen. Steamer likes his chances to be a more positive contributor in 2016, with a projected 3.55 ERA over 65 innings. He might be lucky as Charlie Furbush looks to be the only southpaw with a guranteed bullpen spot come Opening Day.

Top-100 talent: The Steamer projections for all Top 100 prospects are always included, but Alex Jackson's come with plenty of asterisks. The 2014 first-rounder had a rough go in his first full season as he hit .207/.318/.365 with eight homers and 96 strikeouts over 271 at-bats at Class A Clinton and Class A Short Season Everett. He just turned 20 on Christmas Day and still has plenty of talent, as evidenced by his No. 94 overall ranking by MLB.com. Still, Jackson remains about three seasons away from showing off that talent in the Majors.