Our daily series on the Top 10 Rangers minor league prospects continues with a pair of outfielders.
Ranking: 8
Player: Lewis Brinson
Position: OF
Draft selection: 2012, first round
Team: High Desert
2014 season: Hickory: 43 G, .335/.405/..579 10 HR, 28 RBI, 18 W, 46 K. Myrtle Beach: 46 G, .246/.307/.350 3 HR, 22 RBI, 15 W, 50 K.
Positives: Good makeup, wiling to learn
Negatives: Needs more work on developing power and expanding strike zone
When will he be here?: He made some improvements in his swing and approach in 2014 and during the instructional league. The Rangers believe he’s got an above average arm for a center fielder and see him getting better. He’s got a good chance to make Double-A Frisco at some point this season, especially if he cuts down on the strikeouts, 96 in 89 minor league games last season.
What they’re saying: Brinson’s swing was choppy in high school and the Rangers have smoothed it out to let his athleticism shine through. He also appears to be intentionally working on lowering his hand load in BP, but it still creeps up in games. Brinson’s plate discipline has slowly increased and it’s workable now, but he’s still getting by on raw ability at this point. -- FanGraphs Kiley McDaniel
Here's a look at the series:
