Gregor Blanco
From BR Bullpen
Gregor Miguel Blanco Pedraza
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 5' 11", Weight 170 lb.
- High School Unidad Educativa Ignacio Burk
- Debut March 30, 2008
- Born December 24, 1983 in Caracas, Venezuela
[edit] Biographical Information
Outfielder Gregor Blanco was the first player to make his debut in 2008 when he was used as a pinch runner for Brayan Pena in the 8th inning on Opening Day by the Atlanta Braves.
Blanco was signed by scout Rolando Petit for the Atlanta Braves in 2000. He debuted as a pro in 2001 in the Dominican Summer League and hit .330/.422/.451 with 10 triples in 215 AB and 21 steals in 32 tries (the 2008 Braves Media Guide says it was the DSL Braves 1, the 2002 Baseball Almanac and 2005 BA Prospect Handbook says it was the DSL Braves 2). In 2002, Gregor batted .271/.392/.385 for the Macon Braves. The teenager legged out 9 triples, drew 85 walks, scored 87 runs and stole 40 bags in 56 attempts.
Blanco hit .271/.357/.375 for the 2003 Myrtle Beach Pelicans with 7 triples. He stole 34 bases but was caught 16 times. He led the South Atlantic League with 114 strikeouts. Returning to Myrtle Beach in 2004, he responded with a batting line of .266/.339/.401 with a SAL-leading nine triples. He stole 25 bases while only being nabbed nine times. Baseball America rated him as the best defensive outfielder in the SAL.
In 2005, the Venezuelan outfielder batted .252/.367/.384 for the Mississippi Braves. He had 12 triples and 73 walks. He stole 28 bases in 40 tries. He had the first hit, first triple and first run in team history on April 7. He led the Southern League and Braves farmhands in three-baggers that season. He also led Braves minor leaguers in walks. He hit .313 for the Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Winter League.
Blanco produced at a .287/.397/.375 in 66 games for Mississippi in 2006 before being promoted to the Richmond Braves. He hit .294/.408/.346 in 73 contests at AAA. Overall, he had 88 runs, 151 hits and 31 steals in 46 tries. He led Braves farmhands in hits and runs. In winter play, he batted .313 for the Tiburones.
In the 2007 Caribbean Series, Blanco played for the Tigres de Aragua. He had the final catch in a 18-inning loss that was the longest game in Caribbean Series history.
Blanco continued to get one base well for Richmond in 2007 with a .282/.369/.362 batting line. He scored 81 runs and stole 23 bases, but was thrown out running 18 bases. He led the International League in runs scored and times caught stealing and led Richmond in walks (63), hits (131), runs and triples. He hit .345 for the Tiburones that winter to finish second in the league behind José Castillo. He was second to Omar Infante with 50 runs and tied for 4th with 6 steals.
Blanco spent the entire 2008 season with the Braves after his debut on Opening Day. He played 144 games split between left field and center field and put up a batting line of .251/.366/.309. The most impressive part of his game was his ability to draw 74 walks in spite of a low batting average and a lack of power. He scored 52 runs and stole 13 bases while playing solid defense in the outfield. He was added to the Venezuelan national team's roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic, where he split center field duties with Endy Chavez.
[edit] Sources
- 2002-2008 Baseball Almanacs
- 2008 Braves Media Guide
