It’s not Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in the summer of 1998, but it’s giving Cubs and Rangers fans — and all-around baseball junkies — something to root for in an otherwise depressing season.
Top power prospects Kris Bryant (Cubs) and Joey Gallo (Rangers), friends who grew up together in Las Vegas, are waging an epic minor league home run battle.
Bryant, a righty-swinging third baseman taken second overall by Chicago in the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft, slugged his 41st round-tripper of the year on Wednesday for Triple-A Iowa. Gallo, who bats lefty, has a combined 40 longballs for Double-A Frisco and Single-A Myrtle Beach.
The 22-year-old Bryant has hit 50 homers as a professional in 163 games, batting .336 with 137 RBIs and 131 runs scored. Gallo, 20, announced his presence with a moonshot homer in the Futures Game during All-Star Weekend.
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Bryant’s 41 home runs are the most by a minor leaguer since the Marlins’ Dallas McPherson slugged 42 in 127 Triple-A games in 2008. McPherson never amounted to much in the big leagues. The expectations for Bryant and Gallo are much higher.