An Eventful Winter For Nats’ Ballou
WASHINGTON—After playing at the three highest levels of the minors last year, 25-year-old outfielder Isaac Ballou spent part of the winter getting a glimpse of what it takes to take the remaining step.
Ballou played more than three weeks with Mayaguez in the Puerto Rican League. He hit just .194 in 62 at-bats, but the experience was still worthwhile.
“It was different. It was good, though,” Ballou said. “I got to rub elbows with a lot of big leaguers. (The Twins’) Kennys Vargas was probably the most prominent one.”
To Ballou, Vargas resembled Red Sox slugger David Ortiz. Meanwhile, Vargas complimented Ballou by comparing him with veteran Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson.
“I think the first game we had (in Puerto Rico), I didn’t have the right pants, so they made me wear my pants up, and obviously I have a high elbow (in my stance),” Ballou said of the rationale for the Granderson comp.
Both players stand about 6-foot-2, bat lefthanded, have speed and play the outfield.
“For me, the power’s going to come, I hope,” Ballou said. “He already has a lot of it and has had a great career.”
Ballou went to high school in the Tidewater region of Virginia and was a 15th-round pick in 2013 out of Marshall. Last year, he stole 21 bases and hit eight homers while playing in all three outfield spots, mostly in left field.
Ballou hit .271/.344/.397 in 124 games combined at high Class A Potomac, Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse.
“He certainly earned his promotions,” said farm director Mark Scialabba, who praised Ballou for his energy and the improvements he has made in his swing and plate discipline.
“The approach I had (at Potomac) played well in Double-A and Triple-A. For the most part, I felt prepared,” Ballou said the night he was honored as Potomac’s player of the year.
After talking with Vargas and others this winter, he has more advice to use at spring training.
CAPITAL GAINS
• Syracuse third baseman Jose Lozada, a 30-year-old switch-hitter, batted .311 in 122 at-bats in the Puerto Rican League and went 6-for-18 in the Caribbean Series.
• The Nationals and Astros remain on track to move into a new spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., in 2017, principal owner Mark Lerner told the Washington Post.
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