Adam Brett Walker is long on power, short on consistency

CHATTANOOGA, TENN. – Adam Brett Walker II struck out twice and hit a home run a country mile in a recent minor league game.

In other words, a typical game.

"It's always nice when you can hit a bomb," he said. "I've been striking out [a lot]. I'm trying to cut that down and have better at-bats."

Walker is one of the most intriguing prospects in the Twins farm system. He leads the Southern League in home runs (15) and strikeouts (77).

Lookouts third baseman Miguel Sano is regarded as one of the top power-hitting prospects in all of baseball. Walker has even more raw power, according to the Lookouts staff.

"It's epic," manager Doug Mientkiewicz said. "I don't think I've played with anybody that has more than him. When he gets on one …"

Walker usually sends it into orbit, like his recent mammoth blast against Biloxi. Several longtime followers of the Lookouts called it one of the longest home runs ever hit at AT&T Field.

"I got that one pretty good," Walker said.

Too often he swings and misses, especially on offspeed pitches, a puzzle he will need to solve to keep advancing up the organizational ladder.

Walker struck out 115 times in Cedar Rapids in 2013 and 156 times at Fort Myers last season. He also hit 52 home runs with 203 RBI combined in those two seasons.

"He's striking out the same as he did last year but they look so much better, if that's possible," Mientkiewicz said. "He's my most improved hitter in the lineup."

Mientkiewicz admits he was "worried" about Walker facing Class AA pitching initially because of the way he looked striking out last season.

"The strikeouts alarmed you," he said. "They were so non-competitive at times."

Walker is batting .261 this season. He leads the league in RBI (46) and is second in slugging percentage (.573). He's also showing better discipline at the plate. Mientkiewicz credits hitting coach Chad Allen for that, and a running bet Allen made with Walker.

Walker struggles with pitches at his knees, so either he or Allen buys a steak dinner every few weeks depending on Walker's ability to avoid swinging at low pitches. Coaches don't even mind if Walker takes a third strike slightly below his knees.

"The more he makes the guy elevate the ball," Mientkiewicz said, "the more balls fly over the fence."

Walker lost the most recent bet.

"If I get a pitch up in the zone and I get the barrel to it, good stuff usually happens," he said.

Walker, a left fielder, is chiseled at 6-4 and 225 pounds. He played quarterback at his Milwaukee area high school and drew interest from Division II schools.

His father, Adam, played two games at running back as a replacement player for the Vikings during the 1987 NFL strike season.

His son knew his future was in baseball, not football. His towering home runs show he made the right decision.

"He hit a ball to right-center over a tree here," Mientkiewicz said. "That's not normal."