Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers ’17 — #24 Jesús Aguilar
Another day, another tick down in our countdown to Opening Day by way of jersey numbers.
It’s Friday, March 10 which just so happens to be 24 days away from Monday, April 3. It also just so happens that somebody in Brewers camp is wearing #24 this year.
And who is that person? You guessed it…
Frank Stallone.
Wait…there’s no way that’s correct. *checks notes* Oh, that’s right. I mean…
Jesús Aguilar.
It’s been a several days since there’s been something entirely new to the organization to profile in this series, but even longer for someone new also with as limited a MLB track record as has Aguilar. As such, some backstory.
A native of Venezuela who has been in the professional baseball ranks since signing with the Cleveland Indians on November 13, 2007, Aguilar is listed at 6'3" tall and 250 pounds. He has long been considered an option defensively only at first base which makes the Brewers’ claim of him back on February 2 a bit more intriguing.
It already carried intrigue because of the signing of Eric Thames back at the end of November. Thames was brought in to play first base and mash in the middle of the lineup. Those are the two things Aguilar does. The Brewers could also have considered themselves covered at first base in terms of both depth and emergency with guys like Travis Shaw and Hernan Pérez in the big leagues and the versatile Iván De Jesus, Jr. getting reps there this spring.
What Aguilar brings to the batter’s box more so than anyone else looking to backup at first is a much more prodigious power pedigree. Aguilar led the International League (AAA) in home runs with 30 in 2016. He also hit 26 doubles and drove in 92 runs. He’ll strikeout and he doesn’t walk a ton, but Aguilar was still able to slash .247/.319/.472/.791 for the Columbus Clippers.
Power has long been Aguilar’s best tool. Prior to the 2012 Rule 5 Draft where Aguilar was left unprotected, MLBPipeline.com’s Mike Rosenbaum wrote:
“The right-handed hitter’s loudest tool is definitely his bat, as he has plus raw power to all fields but lacks the frequency that one naturally associates with his strength. Aguilar always had swing and miss to his game.” — Mike Rosenbaum on Jesús Aguilar
Ironically, Rosenbaum suggested the Brewers as a good fit for Aguilar in that Rule 5 Draft. The Brewers did not draft anyone that year, for the record.
On his way through the minor leagues with Cleveland, Aguilar first showed what he could potentially become in 2011. He put together a very strong season between Class A and Class A-Advanced and then absolutely crushed in the Arizona Fall League that year. Aguilar continued his success in 2012, slashing .280/.372/.461 between High-A and Double-A. He also appeared in the Futures Game during All-Star Weekend.
Still, none of that led to a big league call-up until 2014, a season in which Aguilar posted a .905 OPS with Columbus. He struggled in his first taste of the big leagues, collecting just four hits (all singles) in 33 at-bats. Aguilar’s time in the big leagues in 2015 was much better by averages, but he got to play in 12 fewer games and received 18 fewer plate appearances. And in 2016? He got 14 fewer PAs than in 2015. Clearly, somebody in Cleveland wasn’t in the Aguilar fan club.
Still, throughout all those professional speed bumps, Aguilar kept turning up the power in the minors. 15 home runs in 2012, 16 in 2013, 19 in 2014 and 2015, and then the 30 homer year that certainly must have caught eyes around the league. When Aguilar was designated for assignment to make way for a waiver claim by Cleveland, David Stearns put in a claim.
Will the rest be history? Signs point to doubtful, because if there were all-time tales to tell about Aguilar, chances are that they would have begun some time ago. That said, Stearns have proven to have a keen eye for identifying talent which has yet to fully blossom and is languishing elsewhere (i.e. Junior Guerra, Jonathan Villar, Keon Broxton).
Whether Aguilar ends up as a footnote in Brewers history and never plays an inning for them, or whether he becomes a powerful pinch-hitter and spot-starter who strikes fear into opposing pitchers is unknown. Perhaps he ends up in the middle of those extremes. Perhaps he ends up clearing waivers at some point and annihilates baseballs in Colorado Springs for a season.
Either way, if Aguilar is at the plate it should get your attention. After all, it got that of Stearns who is better at evaluating baseball players than either of us…well, certainly me anyway.
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Follow Jesús on Twitter: @JAguilarCLE
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Looking to catch up on this season’s BBtJN? Just click on a name below:
#59 Carlos Torres
#57 Chase Anderson
#56 Ryan Webb
#54 Michael Blazek
#53 Jhan Mariñez
#52 Jimmy Nelson
#51 Damien Magnifico
#50 Jacob Barnes
#47 Jett Bandy
#46 Corey Knebel
#45 Tyler Cravy
#41 Junior Guerra
#38 Wily Peralta
#37 Neftalí Feliz
#35 Brent Suter
#33 Tommy Milone
#29 Yadiel Rivera
#28 Jorge Lopez
#27 Zach Davies
#26 Taylor Jungmann
#25 Michael Reed
