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Coming into the 2012 season, outfield Oswaldo Arcia made Twinkie Town's top prospect list, sliding it at number three overall. That's ahead of Aaron Hicks, Joe Benson, Max Kepler, and Angel Morales, who along with Arcia make up five of our top fifteen prospects.
Signed out of Venezuela, Arcia spend 2008 (his age-17 season) in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .293/.343/.432. Over the next two years he was in the Twins' Rookie League, moving to the Appalacian League in 2010 and announcing his presence with authority by batting .375/.424/.692 as a 19-year old. Potential, meet performance.
That extraordinary production continued the next season, playing 20 games in A-ball before forcing the Twins' hand in another promotion. In High-A his numbers weren't quite as strong, but as a 20-year old some of that was to be expected.
Then came this season. Just 21 in early May, Arcia (still in High-A) has adjusted after his relative struggles of this level of competition last year. In 55 games he's put together a .309/.376/.517 line, combining power with discipline and completely demolishing right-handed pitchers. He was a Florida State League All-Star.
And now he's been promoted.
Fort Myers Transactions: Florida State League All-Star OF Oswaldo Arcia and former @StPaulSaints P Daniel Sattler promoted to @RockCats
— Fort Myers Miracle (@MiracleBaseball) June 18, 2012
That means the 21-year old Arcia is now in the same outfield as the 22-year old Hicks, 24-year old Benson, and 25-year old Rene Tosoni. Marc Dolenc and Evan Bigley may suddenly find themselves pressed out of some playing time, particularly once Benson is back off the seven-day disabled list.
Good luck to you, Oswaldo Arcia! Here's hoping for your continued success, because the better you are now...the better the chances you'll be ready for the Twins in 2014.
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