Joey Gallo shows off all his skills during major-league debut
There were some who questioned whether Texas Rangers third baseman Joey Gallo was ready for the majors. Those concerns were not without merit. While Gallo was considered one of the best prospects in the game, he would be making the jump from Double-A, and had struck out quite a bit in the minors.
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Gallo put those concerns aside pretty early in his debut. In fact, he made hitting major-league pitching look pretty darn easy.
Gallo struck immediately. In the first inning, he hit a two-run double off Chicago White Sox starter Jeff Samardzija. The hit was not without controversy, though. First baseman Adam LaRoche would have likely been charged with an error had the play happened away from Globe Life Park.
The official scorer ruled it a single, however, giving Gallo his first major-league hit and RBIs.
In his next at-bat, Gallo made sure to leave no doubt about whether he deserved a hit. On the first pitch he saw, Gallo crushed a 92 mph fastball from Samardzija out to right for a deep home run. The blast traveled 418 feet.
He didn’t stop there.
In his third at-bat, Gallo again punished Samardzija. This time, he smashed a 92 mph cutter out to right for a double. After three at-bats, Gallo was not only hitting 1.000, but he was also a triple away from the cycle.
The White Sox would finally find a way to get the rookie out in his fourth plate appearance. With reliever Dan Jennings on the mound, Gallo struck out on four pitches. There’s still a chance he’ll receive another at-bat, so hitting for the cycle could still happen.
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Even if Gallo doesn’t receive another chance, that’s one hell of a debut. It’s just one game, but Gallo showed off the skills that made him a stud prospect in the minors. Now, he’ll have to prove he can make the proper adjustments after major-league pitchers are aware of his presence.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
