The Arizona Diamonbacks thought enough of Quentin to take him in the first round of the draft that year, even with the injury.
It took him a whole year to land at the home base of the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League because of the arm problems. On the way he picked up a little Tommy John surgery and the arm is ready for primetime in high Class A ball.
Life down on the farm has been good to Mr. Quentin. In his professional debut, Carlos has a .549 slugging percentage, driving 58 runs, 66 hits, and 14 home runs. Impressive as it is, his numbers should do even better with the ball carrying on the high desert night air of lovely Lancaster as the summer progresses.
Recently, Carlos gained national publicity for leading the minors in hits by pitch (26). He can still remember his name, and count the skipper's fingers, so his time with the JetHawks won't ding his top-flight education.
It is a sign that Quentin’s aggressive batter box hogging habits have been very beneficial in his career thus far. Carlos takes no grief from pitchers.
On his current pace, we'd expect to see a call-up to Double-A El Paso on the horizon. His usefulness to the major league club will become more apparent as he gets a look at better pitching.
As for his major league chances, it all depends on how the tea leaves fall. The D-backs like champagne names but are on a beer budget. With a little fermentation, Quentin may be part of a home brewed bubbly that the fans in Phoenix might enjoy.
Named to MLN FAB50 2005
