Rockies' Toglia belts third AFL homer
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PEORIA, Ariz. -- Before Michael Toglia got to jog around the bases following a booming three-run homer that landed high up onto the berm beyond the right-field fence in the sixth inning, he had to wipe a defensive miscue from his mind.
¡°The ball is going to find you on both sides,¡± Toglia said. ¡°So after making that error, I needed to flush it, get to the at-bat and not bring it into the box with me. And I¡¯m pretty sure I did a good job of that.¡±
Toglia¡¯s third roundtripper of the Arizona Fall League was a notable chapter in a topsy-turvy game Friday afternoon at Peoria Stadium. Salt River claimed its first lead on the 23-year-old¡¯s blast before falling in walk-off fashion in 10 innings, 6-5, to Peoria.
Named to the Futures Game back in July, the Rockies¡¯ No. 6 prospect has already stepped into the box against the top tier of Minor League pitching and passed early tests with flying colors. That day, he slugged a two-run homer.
His past successes have been parlayed into his present ones.
¡°There¡¯s tons of talent out here, a lot of talented arms,¡± Toglia said after homering off No. 20 Braves prospect Victor Vodnik, who ramped up his fastball as high as 98 mph Friday. ¡°Being on stages like UCLA and the Futures Game, it really prepares you for that.¡±
Now, Toglia boasts a .947 OPS through 11 Fall League games, leading Salt River in dingers.
¡°Timing and approach, that¡¯s all it¡¯s been so far,¡± Toglia said.
Standing 6-foot-5 and batting from both sides of the dish, Toglia has made extra-base power the name of his game. While 18 of his 22 home runs between High-A Spokane and Double-A Hartford this season came as a left-handed batter, Toglia posted a higher OPS (.839) swinging right-handed than he did from the left side (.763).
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Toglia, a first-round selection in the 2019 MLB Draft, has the combination of tools and size to make Rockies evaluators excited about the club¡¯s long-term future at first base. Despite the fourth-inning error Friday, the left-handed-throwing first baseman¡¯s highest-graded tool is his fielding (60, on the 20-80 scouting scale). He put those skills on display as recently as Thursday, snaring a foul popup while battling the netting down the first-base line during a loss to Surprise.
While the aforementioned power continues to blossom, its emergence could coincide with Toglia¡¯s climb up the Rockies¡¯ organizational ranks -- which boasts hitter-friendly stops along the way, before culminating at Coors Field.
As for the thought of hitting at Triple-A Albuquerque¡¯s Isotopes Park -- a known hitter¡¯s haven -- and in Denver in the future?
¡°It¡¯s exciting,¡± Toglia said. ¡°Hearing that all of these places are hitters' parks -- including Coors Field itself -- it gets you ready for what you¡¯re about to face in the big leagues.¡±
Ultimately, time spent in the AFL is intended for just that: Major League prep. If early returns are any indication, Colorado will enjoy the multi-faceted progress that Toglia continues to make.