Jacob

Gatewood

Gatewood has shown some pop since being a first-round pick by the Brewers all the way back in 2014, but the rest of the tools never developed. He’ll likely head to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

No real surprises among the first round of cuts from Angels’ big-league camp. Perhaps the most notable inclusion is Ponce de Leon, who was vying for a spot in Los Angeles’s Opening Day rotation.

Gatewood, 26, slashed .227/.281/.471 with 28 home runs, 84 RBI, six stolen bases, and 60 runs scored in 116 games this summer at Triple-A Salt Lake. He was selected 41st overall by the Brewers in the 2014 MLB Draft.

The 23-year-old slugger underwent surgery in July to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. Prior to the injury he was hitting .244/.302/.466 with 19 homers and 59 RBI in 94 games at Double-A Biloxi. The Brewers are gambling that other teams won’t be willing to stash an injured first base prospect who isn’t quite major league ready yet, though a few rebuilding clubs could be willing to do so.

Gatewood went the unconventional route with his home runs. One was an inside-the-parker and the other was a grand slam. He drove in six runs as the Timber Rattlers rolled to an easy 10-2 win over West Michigan. He’s hit .500 with 11 RBI during his five-game hitting streak. Gatewood’s average has skyrocketed from .216 to .269 over that span. The 20-year-old has not drawn a single walk in 109 plate appearances this year.

Gatewood had one of the draft’s most powerful bats, and the Brewers popped him with the 41st pick. Baseball America’s John Manuel reports the deal is worth $1.83 million, nearly $500,000 more than the assigned slot value for the selection. Gatewood will need a few years of seasoning in the minors before he’s a realistic possibility in Milwaukee.

He was 0-for-11 with seven strikeouts in his previous three games. The 19-year-old has a tendency to swing for the fences as evidenced by his high strikeout rate (101 Ks in 275 at-bats). But when he connects, it’s a thing of beauty. Gatewood has already improved his average from .227 with Low-A Wisconsin earlier this year to .245 in his first 38 games for Helena.

Gatewood’s three doubles give him eight on the season, and the four hits raise his season average to .241. The former shortstop prospect has loads of swing-and-miss -- 44 strikeouts in 43 games -- and has issues with selectivity, but when he makes contact, the ball jumps off of his bat. He’s still just 22-years-old, and if the light clicks, he has a chance to be a big-league player. There is a ton of volatility in this type of profile, however.