MINNEAPOLIS -- The 2014 MLB Futures Game might someday be remembered as the baseball world's formal introduction to Texas third baseman Joey Gallo, as his grade-80 raw power was on display both during BP and during the game. Gallo still has things to work on as a hitter, but his power is absurd -- he put baseballs into the top deck and onto the right field concourse during batting practice, then hit a mammoth homer off a fastball right down the chute from Astros prospect Michael Feliz. It was a blast that gave the U.S. team a 3-2 lead it never relinquished.
Gallo's bomb followed strikeouts on sliders in his first two at bats -- one swinging on a pitch down and in at his back foot, the other looking on one from Yankees prospect Luis Severino. Gallo wasn't challenged inside like you'd expect, as his power comes when he can get his arms extended on pitches middle to away, but he's already succeeded in improving his coverage from the past season to this spring. If you can live with the strikeouts, he's one of the highest-impact bats in the minors.
Here are more notes from the game.
• Speaking of power