A long-held baseball belief is that the most difficult jump a minor-leaguer makes is from High A to Double A.
The hitters at Double A are more polished, the pitchers have better stuff, and players are good enough to be called up to the majors without going to Triple A.
The Texas Rangers, for instance, called up Jurickson Profar in 2012 without a single Triple A at-bat and this season brought right-hander Ariel Jurado to the majors from Double A Frisco.
So, it’s not unheard of for a player to struggle initially after a promotion.