MLB, Cincinnati Reds, Billy Hamilton
Some of you may not have heard of Reds prospect Billy Hamilton.He's currently in AA Pensacola, on the Reds' affiliate there, the Blue Wahoos.
I believe we'll be seeing him in Cincinnati before the end of the year, even if it's just as a pinch runner. He's THAT fast.
Hamilton is on pace to break Vince Coleman's minor league record of 145 stolen bases. In all honesty, the only thing that might hold him back would be an injury or a promotion.
Barely halfway through the season, Hamilton already has 104, and is on pace to break Coleman's record with plenty of time to spare.
As impressive as that is, there's also this: Hamilton's stand-up inside the park home run yesterday. Check it out:
I can't wait to see what this kid can do in the big leagues. And in case you're wondering if speed is his only talent... no worries. His slash line is 323/.413/.439, and he's been hitting the cover off the ball at every level so far.
The Reds are struggling in the leadoff spot so far, and perhaps Hamilton can be the solution there at some point.
7/16/12 | luciousj_s | 1751 respect
Detroit has some decent bats but they could used a little more run threat.
7/16/12 |
Eric_
|
6480 respect
I've heard that the Reds won't be calling up Hamilton to pinch run in September, which I can understand, but in a potentially tight race, it could definitely be worth it. That said, he's 20 years old and just made AA. That slash line is nice, but mostly came in the high offense Cal League. He's not ready yet for the bigs as a hitter yet, but if he keeps progressing another 2 years, look out.