Shuckers' Gatewood keeps swinging hot bat

Brewers No. 18 prospect doubles three times in perfect showing

Jake Gatewood has five multi-hit games in the past eight contests, raising his average 41 points in that span. (Brian McLeod/MiLB.com)

By Vincent Lara-Cinisomo

May 22, 2018

After improved vision led to a breakthrough 2017, Jake Gatewood seemed ready to embrace the expectations of being a 2014 supplemental first-round pick.But then his 2018 season opened quietly. On Monday, Gatewood looked to be back in the swing of things.

After improved vision led to a breakthrough 2017, Jake Gatewood seemed ready to embrace the expectations of being a 2014 supplemental first-round pick.
But then his 2018 season opened quietly. On Monday, Gatewood looked to be back in the swing of things.

Gameday box score
Milwaukee's No. 18 prospect reached five times, tying his career high in hits while going 4-for-4 with three doubles, three RBIs, two runs scored and a walk to pace Double-A Biloxi to a 12-7 victory over Chattanooga at MGM Park.

The 22-year-old first baseman collected four hits on three previous occasions, most recently in Class A Advanced Carolina's win over Buies Creek last May 31.
At that time, Gatewood was enjoying a breakout first half, thanks in part to changing his contact lenses to the correct prescription. A .779 OPS at Carolina earned the 41st overall Draft pick of 2014 his first trip to Double-A.
The Clovis, California native slugged .457 at Biloxi and returned to the prospect radar. But Gatewood batted .167/.250/.333 in the opening month of 2018, striking out 28 times in 84 at-bats. That has turned around this month. The University of Southern California commit has hit .324/.358/.514 over 74 at-bats in May.
On Monday, all four of his hits were to center field. He scored Jake Hager with a first-inning double. Three frames later, he grounded a single up the middle to score Troy Stokes Jr. Doubles in the sixth and seventh gave him eight two-baggers on the year, with the latter plating sixth-ranked Milwaukee prospect Corey Ray.
Gatewood's timely knocks helped the Shuckers overcome a 12-hit attack from Chattanooga, which included a home run from No. 76 overall prospectNick Gordon, his fifth of the season. Ray tripled, walked twice, scored twice and drove in a run with a groundout.
No. 19 Brewers prospect Kodi Medeiros (4-1) got the win despite allowing six runs -- five earned -- on eight hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out six.
Brent Rooker, the Twins No. 8 prospect, doubled and drove in a run for the Lookouts.

Vince Lara-Cinisomo is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @vincelara.

Jake Gatewood