Astros’ Joseph Sullivan Finds Power Stroke At High-A
It’s fair to say the Astros didn’t expect a power hitter when they drafted outfielder Joseph Sullivan in the seventh round last year out of South Alabama.
He hit 25 home runs over his three years in the Sun Belt Conference, never more than 13 in a season.
Then Sullivan didn’t hit a ball over the fence in 20 games for Low-A Fayetteville in his pro debut, settling for five doubles as his only extra-base hits.
Yet, Sullivan showed up with some pop this year at High-A Asheville. The 5-foot-11, 198-pound center fielder hit seven home runs in his first 30 games in the South Atlantic League.
“He’s had a little bit of a swing change that has allowed him to elevate the ball a little bit more,” Astros farm director Jacob Buffa said. “The bat path is just moving up a little bit more. It’s allowed him to turn those ground balls into balls in the gap and balls that go over the fence.
“He has an extremely advanced approach even for a High-A player. This year he’s coming into a lot of power that he didn’t show last year, which is really exciting.”
Sullivan had also shown speed with 13 stolen bases and patience with 31 walks and a .427 on-base percentage.
Buffa described Sullivan as a hitter with an advanced approach last year with a lot of contact and minimal power. This year, Sullivan has shown more power but less contact with a 33% strikeout rate.
Sullivan was hitting just .204, so he’ll need to work on his contact to merit a promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi
“The contact rates have suffered,” Buffa said. “Ultimately we’d like him to get the contact rates back to where we know he’s capable, and then we’ll know he can attack the next level.”
