He was promoted to the Savannah Sand Gnats in the South Atlantic League, where he racked up a respectable .306 average and a .453 slugging percentage, even though none of his numbers in his 170 trips to the plate in a Sand Gnats uniform excites or ignites.
It wasn't enough to keep the Rangers interested. They traded Encarnacion to the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds sent Edwin to Low A Dayton in the Midwest League, where his average dropped to .162 on 37 at-bats.
He was sent back to Dayton in 2002 and spent the season there. It was here that he finally broke out, even if his average didn't soar.
2002 was Encarnacion's star-shine year: He had a .282 season with a .458 slugging percentage in 518 trips to the plate, but they were carried on much better stats.
Edwin hit 17 home runs and 32 doubles and brought home 73 RBIs, all minor league career highs. He was infected with the spirit of Ricky Henderson and stole 25 bags, more than 200% better than any prior year!
He had one other, more troubling career high: Strikeouts. He recorded 108, more than double any other year that he's played the pro game.
Spring camp in 2003 broke with Encarnacion heading to High-A Potomac. In 215 at-bats, his numbers started to reflect the scouting reports: .321/.484 AVG/SLG, more consistent hitting and a 32 cap on the Ks. He was promoted to Class-AA Chattanooga after 58 games with Potomac.
Other than RBIs (36), his numbers all dipped a bit with the Lookouts. He finished with a decent .272/.390 (AVG/SLG) performance.
2004 rolled around, and found Encarncion back in Chattanooga. His D needed work, although he lead the league in Doubles for a time on the O side. He turned in .281/.443 on a 469 at-bat, 120 game season. His homers went into double-digit territory (13) for the first time since 2002, and he topped the league with 35 doubles on the season. The rise in walks, a career-high 53, could be relative to the developing power of his bat, or to his developing some patience in waiting for the right pitch. Encarnacion also turned the heat back on the basepaths with 17 stolen bases on the year.
His record of spurts and stops is why he has been a long time coming into the Triple-A. He arrived in 2005. He turned it on again, though, with the Louisville Bats, proving that he's major league material. From April to July, he had a .314/.548 run on 290 at-bats in 78 games. With 15 home runs and 23 doubles, 54 RBIs, and a managable 53 strikeouts, he had a great year. He was named to the Triple-A All-Star team for the International League.
It was good enough for him to get a mid-season look or two at the big leagues. He's .228/.430 on 78 trips to the plate. Not bad, but probably not enough to keep him in Cincinnati this season. Randa at Cincinnati is on a one-year deal. The likely scenario is that Encarncion will fill the slot in the 2006 season.
The mercurial Reds third base prospect is one of the most joyless players that we've witnessed in recent memory. At the All-Star love fest in Sacramento, he was positively scowling about autograph signings, luncheons, and the other stuff that isn't baseball. Even his comments to the media post game were a bit of a dis on the event: "Well at the Futures game, there were so many more people," Encarnacion told reporters through a translator in response to the softball question of how he liked the event.
Other reports from sources within the International League are likewise tainted: "Gifted athlete... looks miserable on field or off."
To which we offer the Edwin the advice of Bobby McFerrin: Don't worry. Be Happy. If you relaxed and enjoyed the ride, maybe it would be less bumpy.
Encarnacion is one of the most gifted athletes in the minors, hence his number 14 ranking this year, up from 46 in the 2004 FAB50™. When he evolves the maturity to have a little fun with this aggrandized kids' game, and the millions he'll likely make in it, we hope, just for a moment, to see him smile.
See Also: 2004 MLN FAB50™ Baseball Rankings; Triple-A All-Star Game Team Photo; Sacramento Star Shine
