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Strong in 2001 at age 22:   .326/.436/.383 with 13.9% K rate and 82 steals.
Right on the Barbosa template there.
The M's gave him all of 26 PAs in the show, but it appears that the Cubs, Braves, Red Sox and Yankees all gave him a trial at AAA, but none of them promoted him.
It does appear that his K% went up in those mid-20s years, possibly because he was pressing to show some ISO in order get another shot.  He also was suspended for PEDs during that time, probably for the same reasons.
So "speed + plate skills" doesn't necessarily get you there, though Strong obviously didn't help himself with the suspension.  He also might have been given an earlier shot with a team that didn't have Ichiro, and things might have worked out differently.
But, as you say, "or not ..."