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I adore Ackley, but Rose comparisons may be premature. ;)
 
Also, for as many great players that did not struggle and require some extra minor league time there's a corresponding great player who did.  Or who should have been in the minors but struggled for a bit in the majors instead.
 
Alex Gordon, a former #2 selection back in 2005 and best-college-hitter just like Ackley, STILL hasn't taken off for the Royals.  Any time they want to part with him I'm fine with taking him, because I still think he's gonna be very good, but those George Brett comparisons folks were making on draft day are pretty non-existent right now.
 
He had one full season at AA, then struggled with injuries and performance for 2 years in the bigs (not that he was terrible, he just wasn't special) and then had playing time cut and reappeared back in the minors last year and this year.  His minor league OPS is 1.045 in 900 ABs. Are the Royals mishandling him?  Probably.  I'd definitely do it differently, but I guess there's a reason they're the Royals.
 
What's our excuse?  And how do you handle a talented batter still making adjustments in his game, who will have to make many more at the big league level?
 
I say Ackley is ready for promotion. Just don't expect a lot of power for a while, if ever.  If he smacks lots of doubles, that'll be as much as I expect on the power scale until his mid-20s.
 
But in the same way Edgar could have been contributing with average and OBP until his power came later in his 20s, Ackley's contributions would be welcome as soon as we feel he can make them.
 
I expect us to promote him to the bigs sometime after May next year, so we can save another year of service time.  That's how the game is played.
 
Let him run around AAA for a bit in the meantime, that sort of thing.
 
But if they want him in AA because they like his situation there with his hitting coach (or for any other reason) then that's fine too.  He'll be promoted soon enough.  I'd love to see him on the Mariners sooner rather than later, but if they'd boost him up to Tacoma before, say, next week so I can see him when the Rainiers come to town, that'd be great to.
 
Just sayin.
 
~G