Salt Lake City, Utah —— At the top of this post, watch one of our scouting videos of Los Angeles Angels veteran minor league outfielder Eric Young Jr., taken from one of the games he played last week for the Salt Lake Bees against the visiting Sacramento River Cats in Triple-A Pacific Coast League action.
Eric Young Jr. scouting report notes
Few players began 2017 hotter than Eric Young Jr., who entering play Monday was hitting .403/.422/.565/.986 with four doubles and two home runs in his first fifteen games played for the Salt Lake Bees. The outfielder may not be long for Triple-A if he keeps doing that, and if the Los Angeles Angels have an outfield need in the big leagues. Until that moment comes, though, he’s leading the way for the Bees in Pacific Coast League action and putting up the kind of numbers you’d expect—and then some—from a nearly 30-year-old outfielder who has always been the model of quiet consistency.
He’s doing it this season with a lightning quick bat, great pitch recognition, a little bit more power than we are used to seeing from him, and, well, the benefit of his age to feast on more inexperienced pitchers and carve up opponents in a variety of ways. With five stolen bases to his name already, in just 15 games played, there’s still a chance Young is going to run all over the Pacific Coast League while drawing attention to his style of play, but it’s his pop and slightly thicker build as he ages that makes him a more well-rounded ballplayer. It’s all the more remarkable that he’s doing this after the death of his infant son in January.
Eric Young Jr.’s raw physical tools have never been in question, but the polish was always just a tick or two shy. Now that he’s a bit older, and a quarter-step slower, the polish is starting to show. Can it keep shining while balancing with raw, physical tools? Will the collective grouping of all the above be enough for the Los Angeles Angels to give him a call back to the big leagues? If he keeps hitting how he is now, he may answer that question himself.
To visit Eric Young Jr.’s player page, please click here.
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Eric Young Jr. scouting report: 140 characters or less
Plus-plus speed with a slowly evolving, maturing approach at the plate, Eric Young Jr.’s red-hot start is no fluke.
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Eric Young Jr. scouting report video
Below, enjoy the two Eric Young Jr. video clips we were able to put together early in the season. If you want more Eric Young Jr. baseball video, please subscribe to the Baseball Census YouTube channel for immediate, daily access to all of our videos.
In this Los Angeles Angels / Eric Young Jr. baseball scouting report:
Los Angeles Angels | Salt Lake Bees | Sacramento River Cats | San Francisco Giants | Eric Young Jr
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