Rays No. 1 prospect Gillen muscles up for first multi-HR game as a pro
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Theo Gillen's power might be starting to blossom in his second full season as a pro.
The Rays' No. 1 prospect -- and the No. 70 prospect in baseball -- bashed two home runs on Saturday for High-A Bowling Green, giving him his first multihomer game since the Rays selected the outfielder with the 18th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
The 20-year-old Gillen pulled both of his homers out to right field. He hit a two-run shot in the second inning and followed that with a solo dinger in the fourth.
Gillen is less known for his power than his speed and refined batting approach. He showed off both those tools often last year as he stole 36 bases in 73 games and logged a .433 on-base percentage with Single-A Charleston. He didn't showcase much pop as he recorded a .387 slugging percentage and five homers across 243 at-bats.
So far this season, however, Gillen seems to be tapping into his power. He is slashing .304/.407/.696 through seven games with Bowling Green. Five of his seven hits have gone for extra bases. He's also not slowing down on the basepaths as he's 3-for-3 in stolen-base attempts in the early going.