Nelson Cruz, Ian Gac Hitters of the Month

by philkid3 on May 4, 2008 5:59 AM CDT Comment 11 comments

I don't know if anyone else already saw this, or if it was shared (I've been gone). Baseball Prospectus named Nelson Cruz the Pacific Coast League Hitter of the Month and also named Ian Gac for the Midwest League.

Here's what they had to say:

Nelson Cruz, Oklahoma (Rangers), 28 EQR

Cruz may be the ultimate 4-A hitter. Given 145 games in the big leagues, he's squandered the opportunities they represent by hitting .231/.282/.385. When he didn’t make the team in spring training, nobody was interested in the 27-year-old as he passed through waivers and returned to Triple-A, where once again he's mashing, batting .380/.537/.785 in 23 games. With the Rangers’ injury problems, he might get another shot or two, but he’s seen more as a player who already got his chances [sic], or chances, and failed. That’s a very hard rap to recover from.

Hitter of the Month: Ian Gac, Clinton (Rangers), 31 EQR

Gac has been absolutely hammering Midwest League pitching, batting .395/.485/.802 in 23 games with nine home runs, but at the same time nobody is overly impressed. This is the Midwest League, and this is Gac’s sixth season as a pro, and his fourth tour with the LumberKings. He’ll need to do this all the way up to Double-A before he converts many believers, and he turns 23 in August.

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Cruz will be back.

If Bradley needs to miss any extended time, he’ll be back. Of course Byrd will be option #1, but Cruz will be in Arlington at some point this year. Most likely, post-Broussard.

by cmkelly29 on May 4, 2008 7:32 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

As for Gac, I'm sure he'll be in Bakersfield soon

with Mauro Gomez heading to Clinton.

by cmkelly29 on May 4, 2008 7:34 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yep,

he needs to get a chance to prove himself higher up the food chain. My hopes aren’t too high, he might just be Nate Gold, but I’d like to see what he can do.

...and curse Sir Walter Raleigh, he was such a stupid git.

by t ball on May 4, 2008 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cruz

I don’t get it. Are AAA pitchers really THAT much different than big league pitchers? This has got to be mental for him I guess.
If an outfielder got put on the DL today, I wouldn’t go with Cruz. I’d rather have JMJ up instead

by meatbonelefty on May 4, 2008 9:04 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

If a OF went on the DL today...

I’d have to think Byrd would skip his rehab assignment and join the active roster. I get the point though.

by cmkelly29 on May 4, 2008 10:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i think cruz has taken a step forward

he’s playing better this year in AAA than he was in years past

Rare Gnats Sex

by ab03 on May 4, 2008 11:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

by miles on May 4, 2008 11:44 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I'd like to see Cruz get one more shot.

The term “BP Power” still excites me to an extent. It’s not a boner anymore, it’s more like a 1/4 boner. One quarter of a boner for each of his ML call-ups

Hamilton got the same reviews in ST.

by cmkelly29 on May 5, 2008 3:00 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs