![]() His value, whatever it may eventually be, is going to stem from his power. If cutting down on strikeouts comes at the cost of having him cut back on his power swing, I don't know that I'd want that. Of course, he also wouldn't get the bloop hits and "ground ball with eyes" other guys would, either. So, he wouldn't have the ground outs or weak fly balls that some guys would get rather than a K. What he didn't do was hit a lot of balls off the handle or off the end of the bat because he was just a little early or just a little late with his swing. Yeah he would get fooled on some outside breaking balls, but no more than a lot of guys. He either makes contact or he swings through the ball, not a lot in between. His bat doesn't stay in the strike zone very long. What I seem to recall is a guy with a very fast (and powerful) swing that gets through the zone quickly. Outside of Sping Training, I haven't seen Walker in person since 2013, but are we absolutely sure that the reason for his high K numbers is strike zone recognition? ![]() It's like a smoker saying they can't stop, even though the act of getting into the car, driving to the gas station and buying a pack takes a ton more effort than sitting on your couch and doing nothing. Stand still and keep the bat on his shoulder more. It should be much easier to fix the hitter though as he is the reactionary part of the equation. The Twins have had tons of pitchers in the system with great velocity, a killer slider and good offspeed stuff, but they never make it because they can't pitch IN the zone. This shouldn't be a surprise though, it's nothing new, we see the inverse happen all the time. It's a crack in the dam that can't go unchecked. ![]() And he does have tons of talent, more than nearly any other prospect. He's got to at least partially cover that issue up or all his talent will be wasted. ![]() I think he is special, I just think his one flaw, his inability to lay off pitches, is an insurmountable achilles heel. He keeps hitting the ball out of the park and that's something that can keep a player moving through an organization's farm system so don't forget his name. Walker might get lost in the shuffle of other big name prospects in the Twins system but his strong start to 2015 is something to watch. If he could make more consistent contact and cut back on some of his defensive miscues, his prospect stock would continue to rise. His first taste of the high minors is off to a fast start but there are still areas of his game to improve. This season he already has four errors but he is playing left field for the first time in his professional career.Īs Walker gets closer to the big leagues and faces more experienced pitchers, it seems likely his strikeout rate will rise and his contact rate will continue to decline. His career high in errors was 2014 when he was charged with six. 969 fielding percentage with most of his time spent in right field. Walker's defense has also been a cause for concern. This year he has already struck out 80 times in 224 plate appearances. He struck out 115 times in 2013 and he struck out 156 times, more than once a game, in 2014. His big swing also results in loads of strikeouts. 260 career batting average, even as he hits for a lot of power. His batting average continues to be low, a below. He leads the Southern League in home runs, extra base hits, RBI and slugging percentage.Įven with the hot start to the season, Walker's game does come with some flaws. His 16 home runs are well on pace to break his career high of 27 long balls. His highest OPS in any season so far has been. Walker has been on a tear to start the 2015 campaign. The Florida State League can be tough on hitters but Walker still managed to hit 25 home runs, but his OPS dropped a little over 100 points. He made the jump to the Midwest League in 2013 and hit a career high 27 home runs and combined for a. He's also been younger than the hitters at each level including being a year younger than the hitters in the Southern League this season.ĭuring his professional debut, Walker only played in 58 games but he was able to crank 14 home runs and compile a. He has been leaving his mark on every league as he has moved up a level each season since being drafted in the third round of the 2012 MLB Draft. Hitting home runs isn't something new for Walker. He's hitting home runs at one of the best rates of his career and he leads all of minor league baseball after clubbing his sixteenth home run on Tuesday night. Twins prospect Adam Brett Walker is in the running for this title after a quick start to his season. With Bryant and Gallo graduated to baseball's highest level, there will almost certainly be a new minor league home run champion this season.
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