Love The Confidence: White Sox Rookie--With Only 35 Career Hits--Believes He Can Reach 3,000

White Sox rookie second baseman Nick Madrigal is now making a long-term prediction that takes some real guts. He thinks he's making it to 3,000 hits, and at the current state of the game, it's a refreshing goal to hear.

I mean, when was the last time we heard a player excited about hits? What year is it? But seriously, the kid might be able to get it done, and I'll explain why.

First of all, Nick Madrigal doesn't just possess the mindset of an old-school ballplayer--he's developed his skillset like one, too. In order to accomplish baseball immortality as this generation's Mr. 3000, strike-outs can't be a part of your game. In this case, Madrigal strikes out less often than any other player in baseball (that includes every level of the minor leagues.) I mean, come on.

Check out these ridiculous numbers from the 23-year-old middle infielder:

The .331 average from college baseball all the way through to majors is staggering, but peep those strikeout totals.

Just 72 punch outs in 1,722 plate appearances, which means that Madrigal struck out in just 4% of his at-bats. That's out of this world, and what makes this even more impressive is that it's harder to put the ball in play now than it has ever been.

Old-school players like Tony Gwynn and Pete Rose had eye-popping bat-to-ball skills, but how often were they seeing 100-mph fastballs? Maybe once a week?

In today's game, if you want a 3,000+ career hit total, then you'd better learn how to hit velocity. Apparently Nick Madrigal was born to hit a fastball, so it shouldn't surprise the baseball world if he accomplishes this goal.

Nick Madrigal also hardly ever walks. He's had just 122 walks since his days at Oregon State, which actually helps his pursuit of 3,000. After all, how can you put the ball in play for a hit if you didn't get a chance to swing? He'll swing at pitches like this and get a hit:

We wish the kid the best of luck as he looks to accomplish a goal that makes baseball way more entertaining. Putting the bat on the ball and making things happen. We love it!