Nobody has ever doubted Albert Almora Jr.’s glove. But after a few years in the minors, it became apparent that Almora’s offense was a little behind his defense.
He was showing limited power — which isn’t rare for a contact hitter out of high school — but a bit more concerning was that he displayed almost no patience.
In 2014, Almora posted a 2.6 percent walk rate at two levels, the type of number that led talent evaluators to suggest that while Almora would excel at defense, his offense may hold him back from being a special player.