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Gregory Polanco is Still a Work in Progress
By The Big Tuna
Do we remember the absolute Polanco-mania that swept through Pittsburgh in May and June of last year?
Let me set the scene. The Pirates start out extremely slow in April and even though we were just a month into the season and sported nearly an identical roster to the one that made the playoffs the year before, fans and radio personalities alike were clamoring for an early Polanco call up! It was up to him to “save the season”!!
Come on people.
Did I mention that it was barely June at this point and that the Pirates have already turned the corner on the season? If you’d like to read some serious analysis on why they didn’t need to call up Gregory Polanco, please review my article from last Summer.
Sure, the highly touted prospect out of the Dominican Republic is predicted by some to be a five tool phenom. Sure, he got off to a hot start in AAA last year. Sure, he was projected as a player that can hit for power and average. On top of that, he was said to be able to steal 30+ bases and field his position at a gold glove level. But really, what exactly does that mean in the real world? I’ll tell you.
Nothing.
Gregory Polanco was so hyped after his 2014 start in AAA that he turned down a seven year guaranteed deal that if the team options were exercised, the value could have pushed over $70m! Not bad for a 22 year old hasn’t even played an inning yet! But apparently it wasn’t good enough.
Turning down that offer was a mistake. If you’d like educated on why, follow the link below.
https://rumbunter.com/2014/05/23/note-gregory-polanco-signed
Yes, I took a massive amount of heat for this article, but I was right. Those that expected Polanco to maintain his level of play in AAA all season long in the majors were delusional. This is a kid that never took a swing in the big leagues and people were talking about him like he was a seasoned all-star! The expectations that were placed on him last year were unrealistic and unfair. As I predicted, Polanco’s first year as a pro ball player turned out like most rookie seasons do.
Not well.
But people will argue that he was hitting .380 in AAA after 2 months into the season!? The problem with those numbers is THAT my friends, is what they call a hot streak. And as all players who experience a hot streak realize, it will in fact, be followed by a cold streak.
After a nice start with the Pirates he rapidly cooled off. Here’s his triple slash by month before he was sent back down to AAA in September: (BA/OBP/SLG)
June: .288/.374/.375
July: .214/.269/.327
August: .225/.286/.352
September: .179/.303/.286
Hmm. Maybe you were right Tuna. He should have signed the contract.
That’s not saying that Gregory Polanco isn’t going to be a good Major Leaguer one day. It’s just saying to keep the expectations in perspective. He’s only played a half a year in the majors. Most players need multiple years at a minimum to get adjusted to the pitching at this level. Polanco’s learning curve may be slightly less than that, but he’s still going to have a learning curve.
Unfortunately for him though, because he didn’t sign the contract, all it is going to take for Polanco to miss his 2015 window is perhaps a half season like last year’s. If he struggles out of the gate, he can easily be optioned down to AAA and replaced with Travis Snyder. Who as you remember was another ‘can’t miss’ super star in the making after being touted as the #5 ranked prospect in all of baseball in 2009 when he slashed 337/431/663 for Toronto’s AAA affiliate. Since his call up Snyder has barely been able to hold on to his professional career. And he was one of the lucky ones. The vast majority of top 50 prospects don’t even make it as long as he did.
So we’re all awaiting the return of Gregory Polanco. An outfield that produces 60+ Home Runs, a .280+ cumulative average, and 100+ stolen bases is only a pipe dream for most ball clubs. But unlike most ball clubs, those types of numbers are a definitive possibility in Pittsburgh in the years to come.
Just don’t expect it to happen so soon this time.