TUCSON — When Hector Gomez steps in the batting cage, Colorado Rockies hitting coach Don Baylor says, “Let me hear it.” The reason being Gomez has such quick hands and generates far more bat speed than most players. And that’s evident from the wonderfully loud sound when he squares up a ball on the barrel. To be sure, Baylor doesn’t routinely say, “Let me hear it,” to every young player stepping in to hit.

Gomez turned 22 on Friday. Manager Jim Tracy has repeatedly said last spring, when he was Clint Hurdle’s bench coach, all Tracy knew of Gomez was that he could call for pop ups and nothing more. That’s because Gomez was recovering from Tommy John surgery. After he hit .275 in 83 games at high Class A Modesto last year with seven homers and 45 RBI but just 15 walks in 336 at-bats and a .310 on-base percentage. He started the season late after finishing his recovery in extended spring training and then was sidelined in June with a groin strain. Gomez went to the Arizona Fall League after last season and opened eyes.

“He goes to the fall league,” Tracy said. “I take a couple phone calls from people not affiliated with the Rockies organization wanting to know all about Hector Gomez. I said, ‘I don’t know what to tell you. I know he can call for a pop up. I do know that.’ That immediately strikes a nerve obviously when someone else starts asking about players in your system. You feel very, very proud and very, very good about that.”

In the fall league, Gomez’s hitting coach was Dave Hajek, who is the Double-A Tulsa hitting coach. They worked on getting the 6-foot-2 Gomez to hit with a more erect, wider stance. “Now I got more confidence at home plate,” Gomez said. “It’s unbelievable.”

Gomez recently saw video of the way he hit before changing his stance in the fall league. He was more crouched. The contrast was stark to Gomez. Hajek said Gomez had some very, very competitive at-bats in the fall league, where he fouled off a succession of pitches. Gomez’s plate discipline is a work in progress, but in this camp he has yet to exhibit the wild, free-swinging at-bats that were once very common.

“Couple years back, I swing at a lot of balls high, away, in, in the dirt,” Gomez said. “Now I got a lot more experience in the zone. I got more concentration at home plate.”

Quite simply, Gomez has the chance to be a very special player. He’s a shortstop, meaning the large shadow of Troy Tulowitzki hovers over Gomez, who is expected to begin the season at Tulsa. Gomez has played shortstop in his first three Cactus League games but saw time at second base as well as shortstop in an intrasquad game Monday. Gomez could well be the Rockies second baseman of the future.

“The Rockies want me to play second base, too,” Gomez said. “I play everywhere. I don’t care. I love the game.”