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TopProspectAlert.com Minor League News & Autograph Blog HomeTop Prospect Alert - William Bergolla By Schuyler DombroskeDOB: 2/4/83, Age: 19, Height: 6’0’’, Weight:
150, Bats: R, Throws: R. Acquired: Reds - Signed out of Venezuela in 1999.
2000 Stats: (Rookie - GCL Reds) .182 AVG, 22 AB, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 SB, 4
BB, 2 K, .308 OBP, .182 SLG. 2001 Stats: (Rookie - Billings) .323 AVG, 232
AB, 5 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 24 BB, 21 K, .387 OBP, .422 SLG.
William Bergolla is a young
Venezuelan that played both middle infield positions for the Billings
Mustangs (a Reds affiliate) in 2001. Bergolla spent most of 2000 and some
of 2001 at extended spring training, and the tinkering there appears to
have paid off. Bergolla was hot from the start last year, spraying line
drives around the park, exhibiting exceptional speed, and utilizing a rare
trait in someone his age: patience. Bergolla is drawing walks roughly once
every ten plate appearances so far in his career. That is not an
unbelievable rate, but it is a good building point. I would be willing to
bet that Bergolla is in the top quintile for slugging percentage by
players who weigh 150 or less. Assuming that his body fills out over the
next few years, that will lend itself to some exciting power potential.
His speed is well above average, as evidenced by his 25 for 33 performance
in what amounts to half a season thus far in his career. With the power
potential, speed, and patience, Bergolla is a great candidate for the term
“potential” to be thrown around liberally, as I have been doing.
Enthusiasm, as always, must be tempered for a player that has 250 at-bats
against other high-school age players. His defense is another question
mark, which is nearly always the case for a young middle infielder. After
nearly an error per game pace at SS, the Reds moved Bergolla to second
base after fifteen games. The results weren’t much better there, but the
Reds appear committed to Bergolla as a second baseman. He certainly has
the athletic ability, but it will take time to translate that to
skill.
The Reds have a glut of young
middle infielders, but none of them are “can’t miss” types. David Espinosa
is the most likely candidate to play shortstop five years from now,
especially following the castoff of the atrocity that is Pokey Reese.
Gookie Dawkins and Rainer Olmedo are both possible solutions at second
base, as is Todd Walker, the current Red second baseman. Therefore,
forecasting upward progress for Bergolla is a difficult proposition. I
would expect to see him make the jump to Dayton in 2002, which would be a
challenge for a 19 year old. There, in his first taste of full-season
ball, we’ll get a better glimpse of what kind of player he really is. I
won’t even attempt to make a comparison for him: it is just too small a
sample size. In my opinion, Bergolla has as good a chance as Olmedo of
having a meaningful major-league career, slightly less than the chances
for Espinosa and Dawkins. As long as the Reds pursue a low-budget
philosophy, there will be chances for players that assert themselves as
prospects. That can only help a player like William
Bergolla. |
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