Texas Rangers’ Joey Gallo Lives Up to the Hype in Major League Debut

When Adrian Beltre went on the disabled list with a sprained left thumb, the Texas Rangers promoted top prospect Joey Gallo to fill in while the All Star third baseman healed up. Gallo is one of those players that everyone gets excited about, which often leads to unrealistic expectations, and Gallo was coming up from the Rangers’ Double A club, not Triple A. But if his major league debut on June 2nd is any indication, Texas has a real gem.

Gallo was three for four with a homer and four RBIs in the Rangers’ 15-2 rout of the Chicago White Sox. Gallo drove in two runs with a single in his first at bat and had a two run homer in his second. He’s got a great looking swing, the kind that confident veterans of the game have:

Gallo is expected to be sent to Triple A when Beltre returns, but that might be hard to do if he follows this up with some good production.

That’s because Texas, winners of eight of its last 10, have pulled themselves into contention in the American League West. After beating the White Sox, the Rangers are 5 ½ games back and building some momentum. Josh Hamilton is back and has a pair of home runs and five RBIs in seven games since returning from an ill advised two year sabbatical with the Los Angeles Angels. He appears to be comfortable now that he’s back and able to contribute some power. Designated hitter Prince Fielder, who missed all but 42 games in 2014, is leading the American League in hitting with a .355 average to go with 10 homers and 39 RBIs. This could be a fun summer in Arlington.