Monday, June 10, 2013

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #358 Jurickson Profar

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:


  • Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #358.
  • Player Name, position, team: Jurickson Profar, shortstop, Spokane Indians.
  • Level-League, Team Affiliation: Low A-Northwest League, Texas Rangers.
  • Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 63 G, 252 AB, 42 R, 63 H, 19 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 8 SB, 28 BB, 46 SO, .373 SLG, .696 OPS, .250 AVG.
  • Any special information about player: Signed with the Rangers as a Free Agent 07/02/2009. Bats: both. Throws: right.
  • Major League Debut: September 2, 2012.
  • Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: Texas Rangers #2 prospect after the 2010 season .
  • Blurb on the back: "Many American fans recognize Profar as a star for two tremendous Curacao teams in the Little League World Series. A BB-throwing pitcher for years, he was asked to play shortstop after signing with the Rangers in 2009. He made his pro debut in '10 for Spokane, and went 7-for-21 in his first five games."
  • Official Topps Rookie Card: 2013 Topps #286.
  • Commentary: Because Topps' first Pro Debut product came out in two series (the first 220 cards harder to find than the second group of 220, where this card resides), and because he made his MilB Debut in 2010, Topps was able to include the Rangers' top prospect into the 2010 set. Yes, his numbers don't look all that much extraordinary, even if it's against competition from the Northwest League, but consider that even before he took the field, according to Baseball America, Jurickson Barthelomeus Profar was already the Rangers' number 5 prospect after the 2009 season. And keep in mind that he was born on 02/20/1993. So when he made his pro debut in 2010, he was only...17 YEARS OLD!!! As he climbed the organizational ladder (playing with the A-South Atlantic League Hickory Crawdads in 2011 and the AA-Texas League Frisco Roughriders in 2012), his offensive numbers were getting better, and BA as the team's #1 prospect at the end of those two seasons. The Rangers decided to bring Profar up in September, 2012 - at the age of 19 - as one of their end-of-the-year call-ups. Now the Rangers have a very interesting dilemma. You see, Texas already has a superstar shortstop in Elvis Andrus. Presently, Profar is with the big league team and playing at second base because their all-star second baseman, Ian Kinsler, is on the DL. The main concern is that when Kinsler returns from the DL, somebody will have to be relegated to the bench. With two established All-Stars covering the middle infield in Arlington, is there room for Jurickson Profar on this team? Will he be moved the outfield? Will he go back to the minors to develop a bit more? Or will he be moved to another team???
Next week's featured card will be: 2012 Topps Pro Debut #5. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

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