A’s Michael Choice Playing Well In AFL
By Joseph Lopez
It’s the offseason now, so that means young players like OF Michael Choice have an opportunity to hone their skills in baseball’s Arizona Fall League (AFL). Choice, who many people believe to be one of Oakland’s best young prospects, has performed quite well through 15 games this fall.
He’s currently batting .305/.397/.678 with 6 HR and 17 RBIs this fall, which suggests, to me, at least, that Choice is continuing to play at a very respectable level. His offensive capabilities are highlighted by his big-time power potential, and he’s currently a player the A’s are excited about.
Choice’s abilities don’t stop there, however. He had a pretty impressive season this year in Stockton, putting together a .285/.376/.542 slash line with 30 HR and 82 RBIs in 118 games. Choice also played well in Stockton’s outfield as well. He may not be the greatest defender, but his strong arm should help make him a reliable defender in the future.
FanSided’sSeedlings to Stars (S2S) is in the process of naming baseball’s Top 2012 Prospects, and the former first round pick Choice comes in at #70. The A’s former first-round pick, as Nathaniel Stoltz, Editor of S2S, points out, has had some trouble getting on base.
His strikeouts are his biggest problem, and are probably the reason why he’s not ranked any higher on this list of 100.
Nathaniel warns that Choice, who struck out 134 times this year, has a few holes in his swing and upper-division pitchers could expose those holes. Choice’s power numbers would likely decline as a result.
But while his strikeouts are a cause for concern, Choice still gets on-base, and that’s the most important thing. He’s performing well this fall, and he performed exceptionally well this year with Stockton, so it’ll be interesting to see how the rest of Fall league pans out for Choice. Hopefully he’s able to sharpen his skills and prepare himself for the spring.
Craving additional insight to some of the game’s future stars, then head over to Seedlings to Stars for all your minor-league cravings. Also, be sure to follow me on twitter @oaklandace75.