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That's an absolutely great breakdown of a basically unknown (non) prospect before this year. 
 
Rivers has been a little lucky as well as a lotta good.  His BABIP is .413, which is not gonna hold...but in the minors, BABIP is higher for almost everyone than it is in the bigs.  Defenders are worse, so more balls get through.  If you drop his BABIP to a minor-league reasonable .330 he's a .900 OPS hitter in a hitter's park, and pretty neutral thus far against righties and lefties.  His eye is terrific, basically 1:1.  His strikeouts are a little high but if he can walk that much it's perfectly fine.
 
And his game is still growing.  Unfortunately for him I don't think our park would do him any favors, but he should roll all over the Cal League.  Still, Rivers wasn't even selected to the All-Star team.  Most everyone thinks it's a fluke.
 
But is it possible that it's not?  A division II guy who made it to the bigs is Mike Aviles, SS for the Royals.  The Royals were brutal to him but he's persevered.  Rivers is gonna have the longest road possible though - he plays a non-glove position which will require him to REALLY hit, not kinda-hit.  Pitchers come out of nowhere.  Scrappy glove guys might make it work.  But an undrafted slugger?  He's gonna have to prove it everywhere he goes. 
 
Maybe he has unearthed some Nick Swisher skills, but Nick was a first rounder who flew through the minors and was in the bigs at 24.  One level down for Rivers, several more to go.  I wish him all the best.
 
~G

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