Jesus Galindo Stats & Scouting Report

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Galindo spent two years in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League learning to switch-hit before club officials decided he was ready to be challenged Stateside in 2011. He turned into something more than a slap-and-dash hitter from the left side, though there was never any doubt about the dash part. It was no accident that Galindo led the Northwest League in runs (49) and steals (47). He combines tremendous speed with excellent instincts and fearlessness on the basepaths. He swiped third base eight times and his gumption reminded Salem-Keizer manager Tom Trebelhorn of another aggressive speedster he managed in the NWL more than three decades ago--a guy by the name of Rickey Henderson. Galindo doesn't have the overall hitting ability to become another Rickey, but he has gotten stronger and is making more line-drive contact. He'll never have much power, so he needs to focus on putting the ball on the ground and getting on base. While not a physical presence, Galindo has a strong arm and maximizes his speed in center field by getting good jumps. Though he isn't immune to clanking a ball off his glove, he profiles as an above-average defender. Galindo probably will begin 2011 terrorizing catchers in the South Atlantic League.

Galindo has game-changing speed and used it to lead the NWL in runs (49) and steals (47). He also has good instincts, making him a merciless terror on the bases. His eight swipes of third base equaled the number of times he was caught stealing. "He has the best guts and courage that I've seen since Rickey Henderson when running the bases," Salem-Keizer manager Tom Trebelhorn said. "I had Ricky Henderson in the Northwest League as a 17-year-old kid in 1976. This kid, he'll look right in there and you can see it in his eyes. He's telling the catcher and he's telling the pitcher and he's telling the other manager, 'I'm running,' and he goes." A natural righthanded hitter, Galindo improved his lefthanded stroke immensely since the start of spring training. He'll never hit for power and needs to focus on making more contact and hitting more groundballs to take full advantage of his speed. Defensively, he covers center field from gap to gap and has plus arm strength.