Anthony Gose – Toronto Blue Jays – Outfielder
Double-A (through May 11): .248 (30-121), 0 HR, 7 RBI, 14 R, 14 SB
Part of the deal that sent Roy Oswalt to Philadelphia (and later flipped to Toronto), Gose hasn’t taken long to prove that he may have the highest upside of any potential stolen base threat in baseball. In just 31 games he has 14 SB in 17 attempts. His success rate on the bases was a major concern heading into the season, having been caught 52 times over the previous two seasons (including 32 times in ’10), so things certainly appear to be looking up.
However, there are other issues that need to be addressed. At this point he has just 5 extra base hits (2 doubles and 3 triples). The fact that he can turn a single into a double or triple is great, but you’d like to see a little bit more extra base potential. He also has posted a strikeout rate of 20.66%, another mark to watch. Last season he posted a 25.78% mark (132 K in 512 AB), so you want to make sure that he can continue to improve on his ability to make contact. If he can keep working that number down, with his speed, his average should rise (his current BABIP is .313, which easily could rise with his speed).
The 20-year old (he’ll turn 21 on August 10) has a long ways to go, but there is an awful lot of promise.
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