Two Major One Minor 052014

Here is my seventh Two Major One Minor segment of 2014. This is my fourth year of doing this series where I feature two Major League players and one minor league player each week. This week I am featuring Wil Myers, George Springer and Chris Taylor.

Wil Myers of the Tampa Bay Rays is still trying to live up to the hype of being the minor league player of the year in 2012. The Rays saw the outfielder win the award as a Royals prospect and insisted he be part of the trade as they parted with James Shields. In his second season with the Rays he is hitting .243/.308/.373 with 4 HR, 20 RBI, 23 R, 0 SB in 43 games. He is currently off pace of the numbers that won him the AL Rookie of the Year last year when he hit .293/.354/.478 with 13 HR, 53 RBI, 50 R, 5 SB in 88 games. It may be the so-called sophomore slump but he has a ways to go to become a 30 home run and .300 average hitter like he was in 2012. Since he is only 23 there is still plenty of time to adjust and improve. Myers was originally drafted by the Royals in the third round in 2009.

George Springer of the Houston Astros is following Myers path one year later as a minor league player of the year in 2013. Springer brings a rare power and speed combo as he showcased winning the award with 37 HR and 43 SB. He started this season at Triple A Oklahoma City where he hit .353/.459/.647 with 3 HR, 9 RBI, 17 R, 4 SB in 13 games before he got the call up. He is progressing slowly taking rookie steps as he has hit .237/.318/.364 with 3 HR, 13 RBI, 10 R, 1 SB in 30 games. He didn't get his first home run until his 20th game but has picked up that pace. He managed his first steal in his third game but hasn't collected any since. Springer is actually a year older than Myers being drafted out of college as he will be 25 on September 19. The Astros drafted him with the 11th pick of the first round in 2011.

Chris Taylor is one of the few players that won their respective minor league system player of the year award last season to be putting up similar numbers. Last season between Class A Advanced High Desert and Double A Jackson he hit a combined .314/.409/.455 with 8 HR, 60 RBI, 108 R, 38 SB in 134 games. This season the shortstop is at Triple A Tacoma hitting .372/.414/.593 with 3 HR, 21 RBI, 29 R, 9 SB in 35 games. He went on the 7 day DL a few days ago after injuring his left pinky finger sliding into second. At least the injury doesn't appear as serious as those to Bryce Harper and Josh Hamilton who were injured doing the same. Once healthy it shouldn't be long before he gets a call up the way he has been hitting. He was originally drafted by the Mariners in the fifth round in 2012. Taylor will be 24 on August 29.