“He was never like a typical high school player. He spent a lot of time around me, a lot of time around major league clubhouses and players—and because of that, he learned a lot about baseball, much more than other players his age.”
—Dmitri Young

“He’s got some juice in his bat. He’s going to be a good player.”
—Former Tigers manager Alan Trammell

“He’s the total package in terms of tools.”
—Durham Bulls manager Bill Evers

“He can do everything and do it loudly.”
—Evers

“The ball just sounds different coming off his bat.”
—Evers

“That kid’s got a cannon out there.”
—Norfolk Tides manager Ken Oberkfell

“Pressure is all relative. I’ve had pressure on me since I was 15. You learn to deal with it. I’m sure of he is every bit as good as he's supposed to be, he’ll do fine.”
—All-Star Alex Rodriguez

“At his age, to be able to dominate at the Double-A and Triple-A levels, is a credit to his ability and his work ethic, and the manner in which he has handled all of this is a testament to his upbringing, as well.”
—Former Devil Rays GM Chuck Lamar

“He's really excited to be here. The way he's been interacting with the fans—it seems like the fans have really taken to him already.”
—Teammate Michael Cuddyer

“People can change. They can grow up and I think Delmon looks like he's ready to come in here and do that. Delmon has a chance to be a special player.”
—Teammate Justin Morneau

“From what I've seen, we have a pretty good young hitter here.”
—Twins manager Ron Gardenhire

“I tried to instill that no matter what you’re doing, you need to have that focus, that same drive, that certain discipline you need—that deep mental focus can become second nature if you work hard enough at it.”
—Larry Young

“A lot of younger players give away a lot of at-bats, but he doesn’t give an inch.”
—USA Basbeall coach Edgar Soto

“He’s the kind of guy that you don’t get out of your seat and buy a hot dog when you know he’s coming to the plate.”
—Former Devil Rays scouting director Cam Bonifay

 



Dmitri Young, 2003 Heritage


Alex Rodriguez, 2005 Street & Smith


Michel Cuddyer, 2001 Heritage



 

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