In the first compensatory round of the 2012 MLB Draft, the Rangers selected Las Vegas high school slugger Joey Gallo with the No. 39 overall pick.
Gallo has a lot of power, but also a lot of strikeouts. MLB.com had the infielder as the No. 33 player in their projections. Here's what MLB.com had to say about Gallo.
Gallo is an aggressive hitter with plus raw power. When he gets squared up, he can hit the ball out anywhere. He does have a big swing and there is some concern about him making consistent contact. He's played some third and first, with most feeling he'll end up at the latter. As a pitcher, he has more than enough arm strength for the position and should be fine defensively all-around. He is a below-average runner.
In the end, though, it's the power that intrigues scouts. A team that thinks he'll hit enough to tap into it will be tempted to take him early.
As with first-round pick Lewis Brinson, the Rangers selected a player that has some question marks, but an incredible upside.
And the Rangers should be awfully happy at this point to get that kind of upside at 29 and 39. Wow.
— Kevin Goldstein (@Kevin_Goldstein) June 5, 2012
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