clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Morning Mound Visit: sabermetrics news - 4/27/19

Joey Gallo’s eye-popping exit velocity; Vlad Guerrero Jr.’s journey; Wander Franco as the next dynasty prospect

Houston Astros v Texas Rangers Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: Sure, Joey Gallo is still striking out a third of the time, but he still hits the ball very hard, and very far. He is leading baseball in average exit velocity at 99.1 mph. It has been on the rise over the past year or so, and as long as he doesn’t strike out more than he already does, then he might finally be the player he was advertised as.

The Ringer | Katie Baker: This is a fantastic, all-encompassing piece about Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s journey to the big leagues, from being born in Montreal to an Expos legend to hitting a walk-off in that same building in spring training, to finally bringing that legacy to the big leagues in Canada once more. We couldn’t be more excited for one of the most anticipated debuts in recent memory.

ESPN Insider | Tommy Rancel ($): With Vlad Jr. called up, dynasty leagues ramping up next season will need a new minor leaguer as their top overall pick. That player is likely going to be Wander Franco, the next overall prospect after Guerrero and Fernando Tatís Jr., and with his excellent defense and 70 hit/70 power, he could one day be a top-five player in baseball—period.