Sox Scoops 43.070: Blue Sox Name Best Hitter

[HoosierVic]

By Rick Mariotti
Minor Leagues Beat Reporter
Chicago Sports Online

The Beloit Blue Sox this week named 1B Francisco Rosales as their team Hitter of the Year.

Francisco Rosales

This latest honor comes a few weeks after the AA Donaldo Sub-League named Rosales as the recipient of the Jorge Olivas Batter Award, which annually honors the league’s best hitter. He also won the Donaldo Platinum Stick award at first base, was named to the All Star Team, and also won a Player of the Week award.

Rosales slashed .305/.393/.611 with 40 home runs and 104 RBIs on the season. He was the season home run king for entire Warren Cox league, and also finished 4th for WAR with 5.4.

The 25-year-old switch hitter is considered a borderline major league prospect, with scouts rating his overall potential at 40/40. Scouts rate his contact at 5/5; his gap power at 6/6; his home run power at 7/7; and his plate discipline at 5/5.

“Rosales,” his scouting report says, “has the chance to fashion a major-league career as a bench player.”

That was not what Rosales wanted to hear on the day he picked up his team batting award.

“A bench player?” he fumed. “I just hit 40 frickin’ home runs and hit over .300 – what more do those stupid scouts want from me? A bench player?!”

Regardless of what the scouts think, Rosales is slated to move up to AAA ball next season, with hopes of maybe getting a September callup to Chicago.

“Maybe that way I could at least show them what I can do,” Rosales said. “Oh yeah, before I forget, thanks for the certificate. Does this thing have a frame?”