The Cool Of The Grass 2051.4: Buzz Grows Around Souza

[aaronweiner]

Carlos Souza was beyond a doubt the best rated hitter in last year's amateur draft. The 22-year old Souza came basically fully equipped and ready to roll out, but few would have expected the way he has absolutely, thoroughly dominated minor league baseball. It appears that neither hell nor high water will keep this man from the major leagues, and there's some buzz surrounding the youngster as a possible Joe Gillstrom candidate if he gets called up soon.

"I was very excited to be drafted by a team that really needed a first baseman," said Souza, a Puerto Rican native and American citizen who speaks fluent English. "I knew that they would be using me in the majors sooner than later, which is what they told me when they drafted me. I wanted to make sure I rewarded their investment."

Rewarded could hardly describe just how much Souza has been destroying minor league pitching. The switch-hitting Souza was immediately placed in high-A due to his advanced age for a prospect, and all he did in 33 games is post a .999 OPS and get promoted to AA, where Souza posted a 1.055 OPS. And if that's not enough to convince you about the man's talent, Souza has two homers and a 1.133 OPS in his first six games in AAA.

"Carlos has been a totally unstoppable force since we drafted him," said Kernels GM Aaron Weiner. "He has a minor league highlight reel in a year that some people wouldn't have had in a career."

So when will the slugging first baseman be called up? There was no chance he would break camp with the team because they weren't going to let him be a Super 2 like Hasheem Makin and Felix Parreno, but it seems kind of penny wise, pound foolish to keep him down now. Team officials quietly suggested he would be up before June this year, but that timeline appears ready to accelerate.

"I always knew it would be difficult to keep me in the minors," said Souza. "I can't wait to be a major league baseball player, and I know that time is coming soon."

[lordtoffee]

He's certainly deserved a call up in my books, but I get wanting to avoid the Super 2.

[aaronweiner]

It isn't necessary anyway unless my team starts to stabilize around .500 - at which point I can't keep him down.