Raimel Tapia, Rockies prospect
The Rockies’ outfield is, in a word, crowded. With Charlie Blackmon as the steady presence in center field and Carlos Gonzalez, David Dahl, Noel Cuevas and Gerardo Parra platooning the corners, there’s realistically no room for another player in the rotation.
But it’s always good to have options down on the farm, where at Triple-a Albuquerque outfielder Raimel Tapia continues to swing a hot stick. Entering Friday, he’s hitting .300 with six home runs, 14 doubles and 32 RBIS.
“He’s got unbelievable bat-to-ball skills and great hand-eye coordination, and he’s able to adjust the barrel,” Rockies farm director Zach Wilson said. “He does what you want a guy at the top of the order to do. He fights his way through an at-bat, and he’s got a chance to get on base every single time he steps into the box. Once he does, he’s liable to create havoc for the defense with his speed.”
The 24-year-old saw time in Denver each of the past two seasons, and in 2017 he was a regular in the lineup during the second half while batting .288 overall.
What’s more, this spring, the 6foot-2, 160-pounder has flashed glimpses of expanded power.
“He’s going to pop some every now and again — he’s leading the Isotopes in doubles as well — and he’s just dynamic,” Wilson said. “He’s a multifaceted hitter, and there’s a lot of parts of his game. Power isn’t going to be a huge part of that, but he’s certainly got sneaky power.”
Wilson also noted that Tapia isn’t one to get caught up in the ifs and whens of a call-up. That sort of mindset has contributed to his continued growth in Albuquerque as the outfielder keeps making defensive gains at the corner spots, in addition to figuring out how to more effectively leverage his speed on the bases.
“He has a lot of fun playing the game, he’s got a smile on his face and he runs around like he’s a kid,” Wilson said. “That’s probably the greatest asset Tapia brings every single day, because it allows him to relax and just play the game for the beauty of the game.”