The Oakland Athletics’ No. 17 first base prospect is somewhat of a sleeper. Many forget that Rangel Ravelo came to the A’s in the Jeff Samardzija trade this past offseason along with Marcus Semien, Joey Wendle, Chris Bassitt and Josh Phegley. Unfortunately, Ravelo had to undergo wrist surgery this spring, but returned to the diamond in June. For the rest of the Minor League season, Ravelo has played with the A’s Double-A affiliate the Midland RockHounds and Triple-A affiliate the Nashville Sounds.
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Ravelo will not make a big splash when he is finally called up the Majors. Ravelo is more of a consistent player who gets better over time with practice. He was drafted in the sixth round in 2010 by the Chicago White Sox and has worked his way up through the Minors over the past five years. Ravelo landed in Triple-A for the first time in early August of this season. Additionally, before he had his wrist surgery, Ravelo was invited to the Athletics’ spring training this year, which was his first time at a big league camp.
Even though he does not have much power at the plate, he understand the strike zone very well. He is able to hit for contact consistently, keep his strikeout percentage low, and draw a lot of walks. This season with three different Minor League teams, Ravelo hit .304 with an .816 SLG and drew 23 walks in 59 games played. If Ravelo had played for the entire season, he was on track to have one of his best seasons yet offensively.
Defensively, Ravelo is a strong force at first base since he stands at 6’2” tall and is 220 pounds. However, his defense is just average. But, it must be noted that he only recently moved to first base back in 2013. Previously, he had fielded at third. As he gains more experience, he will become an adequate defender at his new position.
With the progress that Ravelo has made over his minor league career, it would not be surprising to see him at spring training in 2016. And, if the Oakland Athletics decide to not re-sign first baseman Ike Davis, then Ravelo has an even better chance of playing in the MLB next year. The only other true first baseman he would have to compete with is Mark Canha.
Even though Ravelo will not be a star rookie at any point in his baseball career, he will be a consistent player both offensively and defensively for the Athletics. After a season full of inconsistencies, this will be a welcomed trait. If he is able to continue to improve and better himself, fans may see him in the O.co Coliseum at some point next year.
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