Raimel Tapia Looks To Start Strong In Double A for Colorado

Tapia is an intriguing young name who has been in the Rockies system since he was 17 (he just turned 22). He has extremely impressive contact skills, hitting for great averages pretty much every step of the way and flashing plus speed. The power hasn’t manifested yet, though it could be in the pipeline as he hit 12 bombs in 593 A+ ball plate appearances last year. He’s a bit of a free swinger, which works out to him getting a lot of hits thanks to his hitting talent, but it means he hasn’t really grown in terms of plate discipline either. He probably won’t be the next Vladimir Guerrero, but he appears to be right on track with his developmental path as far as a young buck with a slick swing goes. Discipline and power come last. He won’t be joining the Rockies this year, but he could be a name that comes up in mid-2017 and brings a spark to Colorado’s lineup.