You could argue that the Houston Astros won twice on Sunday. The first win came during a 13-3 rout over the Los Angeles Angels. The second came hours later, when the team announced top prospect Alex Bregman would make his major-league debut Monday.
While the 22-year-old was drafted as a shortstop last season, he’s played both third base and left field in order to add to his versatility. Over two levels, the former No. 2 overall draft pick is hitting a combined .306/.406/.580 this season. The Astros are set up the middle with Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve, and the team’s recent signing of Yulieski Gourriel could complicate the third base plans.
Bregman is considered one of the best prospects in the game right now, so the Astros will have to get creative with his positions at first. It’s assumed he’s being called up to play everyday, because you don’t call up a player of Bregman’s talent to watch him sit 2-3 times per week.
Bregman entered the season ranked 18th on MLB.com’s top-100 list. His strong numbers have pushed him up even higher on midseason updates. Baseball Prospectus ranked Bregman as the No. 4 overall prospect in the game during its July update. ESPN’s Keith Law ranked Bregman as the best prospect currently in the minors.
Anyone can fail in baseball, even the top overall prospect, but Bregman seems like as good a bet as any to contribute this year.
After a 7-17 April, the Astros have played like a playoff-caliber club. Adding Bregman to that mix should only make them more dangerous.
No comments:
Post a Comment