The Angels promoted former 1st round pick Kaleb Cowart today after thriving in Triple-A Salt Lake, batting .323 with a .395 on-base percentage, .491 slugging percentage, six homers, 13 doubles and 45 RBIs in 62 games in the PCL, striking out 64 times and walking 29 times in 220 at-bats. He also played some left field, shortstop and first base while with the Bees.
Cowart reverted to his old batting stance, moving his hands farther away from his body and standing in a more upright position, and that helped according to to farm director Bobby Scales. "Cowart's been repeating his swing over and over again and understanding what pitchers are trying to do with him."
But for one of the Angels' top prospects after 2012 it hasn't been pretty the past couple seasons. Cowart was sent to Double-A after the former first-round pick out of a Georgia high school in 2010 had a monster year at Class A Cedar Rapids and Inland Empire in 2012, hitting a combined .276 with 16 homers, 31 doubles, seven triples and 103 RBIs in 135 games. After his promotion to Double-A in 2013, Cowart hit just .221 with six homers, 42 RBIs and 124 strikeouts in 132 games in 2013, then followed that season hitting just .223 with six homers, 54 RBIs and 99 strikeouts in 126 games in 2014.
The Angels assistant general manager in charge of player development, Scott Servais, suggested the Angels promote the former top prospect, and the Angels sent him there with simple instructions: Just go hit. Don’t worry about your stance or mechanics. Cowart has done just that and the Angels rewarded him by promoting him to the big league club today, waiving the struggling Conor Gillaspie.
Cowart didn't get a hit in tonight's MLB debut with the Angels, but he looked confident at the plate and made two really good defensive plays, handling all of the routing grounders as well.
Here's your chance to get a chance to know Kaleb Cowart better and hear what the Angels 3B prospect had to say two years ago after his monster season in 2012.
Click on the video below to view our interview with Kaleb.
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Kaleb Cowart Interviews with AngelsWin.com from AngelsWin.com on Vimeo.