WILL VRAGOVIC | Tampa BayTimes

Tampa Bay Rays prospect Jake Bauers has been turning plenty of heads this spring, none more so than those of the opposing pitchers. (That’s a home run pun.)

The 21-year-old California native has been the talk of camp down in Florida as the burgeoning slugger has put on a power display with a team-high four home runs, none more impressive than his monster blast last Saturday against the Blue Jays.

The prodigious big fly dropped plenty of jaws as it ricocheted off the roof of the administrative offices in right field, but the Rays №4 prospect (and the №76 prospect in all of baseball) has been opening eyes all month. In addition to his team-high homer total, Bauers also paces the club in RBI (11), Runs (9), and BB (6) while putting up a .353/.439/.824 slash line. The standout spring has even been enough to draw the praise of the Rays newest franchise player, Kevin Kiermaier.

If that weren’t enough, Rays manager Kevin Cash chimed in with a very flattering analysis of Bauers’ swing.

“I bet he’s probably had that similar swing his entire life, that nobody has ever changed it or tinkered with because it’s just so natural. It looks like his hands and bat get into that slot and he looks — I’m not comparing him to Ken Griffey Jr. ‑ — but a real smooth swing that looks effortless.” — Kevin Cash to Marc Topkin| Tampa Bay Times

Bauers joined the Rays organization in December of 2014, when he was a part of the trade that sent Wil Myers to San Diego. The 6–1 left-handed hitter split the 2015 campaign between Charlotte (A+) and Montgomery (AA) before spending all of 2016 with the Biscuits. There he led the team with 14 HR and 78 RBI while batting .274 with 28 doubles en route to being named a Southern League All-Star and team MVP.

That production and experience seems to indicate a promotion to Durham for Bauers in 2017 where he’d be just one step away from the majors, a milestone some pundits believe is in reach as soon as this season.

“That Bauers played over 200 Double-A games before celebrating his 21st birthday speaks volumes about his abilities as a hitter. Questions remain about his ultimate power ceiling, but the bat could have Bauers competing for playing time in Tampa Bay at some point in 2017.” — MLB.COM

It’s always wise to take Spring Training performances in stride. The history of baseball is rife with March heroes that failed to carry over to the regular season. If there’s one person who’s not getting carried away with the spring hype however, it’s Bauers.