Wednesday Dish: Trout Adding Power



It's often said that going from Class A to Double-A represents the biggest adjustment a young player has to make. Well, Mike Trout's adjustment period looks like it lasted all of two days.

Trout homered twice on Tuesday night for Double-A Arkansas, and the Angels center fielder has gone deep three times in six games on the year. He hit a grand slam in the second inning last night off Frisco starter Wilfredo Boscan, then added a solo shot later on. Since going hitless in his first two Double-A games, Trout has gone 7-for-16.

It's easy to forget that Trout is still just 19 years old and won't turn 20 until August. And for all his accolades of a year ago, when he hit a combined .341/.428/.490 between low Class A and high Class A, he hit just 10 home runs. He's been projected to have at least average power though, and it looks like he shouldn't have much trouble surpassing last year's power numbers.

• The high Class A Florida State League hasn't been much of a challenge for Mets righthander Matt Harvey thus far. The seventh overall pick in last year's draft made his second spotless outing on Tuesday, shutting out Fort Myers for six innings while striking out eight and giving up three hits. Coming on the heels of his five scoreless innings on opening day, Harvey boasts a 17-4 K-BB ratio through his first 11 innings in pro ball.

• Fans in West Virginia might have been disappointed when the Pirates decided to hold premium righthanders Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie back in extended spring training to start the year, but the Power's staff still has something to offer in the mean time. Righthander Zack Von Rosenberg, who the Pirates signed for $1.2 million as a sixth round pick out of high school in 2009, doesn't have the power stuff of Allie and Taillon, but he does have a projectable frame and a nice three-pitch mix. After finishing last season on a roll at short-season State College, Von Rosenberg made his low Class A debut Tuesday against Asheville by striking out nine over five innings, while allowing a run on four hits and one walk.

• Russell Martin has hit the ball well so far for the Yankees, but Jesus Montero doesn't look like he's about to stop forcing the issue down in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Montero went 3-for-5 with two doubles against Rochester Tuesday. It was the third three-hit game already for the 21-year-old catcher, and he's opened the season on a five game hitting streak, going 12-for-25. The only down side? The Red Wings went 3-for-3 stealing bases against Montero last night and opponents are 5-for-6 on the season.

• After making a meteoric rise to the big leagues in his first full season as a pro in 2010, Tigers lefty Andy Oliver has settled in Triple-A Toledo to open 2011 and been sharp in his first two outings. The 23-year-old fanned eight over six innings against Indianapolis on Tuesday, permitting only one run on three hits. Oliver has given up just seven hits in 12 innings on the year while posting a 14-3 K-BB mark.



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