Adrian Rondon did not show much power last summer during his pro debut in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, when he tallied nine extra-base hits but failed to homer in 43 games.
Hitting for power certainly wasn't a problem for Rondon on Friday, however, as the Rays' No. 19 prospect belted a trio of home runs and tallied nine RBIs to power Rookie-level Princeton past Burlington, 16-2.
Playing in just his second game of the season, Rondon extended Princeton's lead to 4-0 in the top of the first inning with his first jack of the game, a two-out, two-run shot to right field. He made his lone out in the contest in his next trip to the plate, grounding out to shortstop to lead off the fourth inning.
Rondon, 17, notched his second long ball of the game in the top of the sixth inning, driving a three-run homer over the left-field wall, and he coaxed a walk in the following frame.
But as it would turn out, Rondon was saving his biggest hit for his final at-bat. Batting with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, the right-handed-hitting shortstop put a bow on his career day as he cleared the bases with a grand slam to left field.
With the performance, Rondon, whom the Rays signed for $2.95 million on his 16th birthday in July 2014, is 4-for-9 at the plate with 10 RBIs between his first two games for Princeton. In his 2015 pro debut, he struck out at a 34.8 percent clip while ranking last among all qualified Gulf Coast League hitters with a .166 average.