One of the criticisms — fair or not — of the Giants’ system over the past few years has been the relatively conservative pace at which they’ve promoted their prospects. The organization haven’t bucked that trend with their opening-day duties, but there have already been two notable promotions early in the season – Patrick Bailey, 2020 first-rounder pick, went from Double A to Triple A after just 14 games with Richmond during 2022 second-rounders -Pick Carson Whisenhunt went from low A to high A with San Jose after just four starts and 13 2/3 innings.
After two stunning seasons, Bailey is finally looking like a potential everyday big league catcher on both sides of the plate. The 2022 minor-league Gold Glove winner has always had a bright future defensively, but now he’s making an impact with the racquet too. In 60 plate appearances with Richmond, he racked up 18 hits — including two homers and two doubles — and he caught six walks. He’s still looking for his first triple-A hit (nine at-bats). His struggles with left-handed pitchers carry over from last season, but he’s crushing right-handed pitching. It’s not hard to imagine a Bailey Joey Bart parade in San Francisco, perhaps as early as mid-season.
Whisenhunt actually played two games for San Jose last season and played in the Arizona Fall League. So it came as a bit of a surprise to see the California League No. 66 return to start this season. However, he made quick work of the low-A level, hitting 20 and walking just four in 13 2/3 innings. In his final game for the Giants, he threw four innings without a score, allowing just one hit and batting seven. He was just as brilliant in his High-A debut on Sunday, again allowing Eugene just one goal in four frames without a goal. He hit six.
Whisenhunt’s transformation is his best shot, and it’s already a premier weapon. His fastball prowess has improved so far this season, and while he’s not a particularly tough pitcher (tops around 94), he can swing and miss with the court. He hides the ball well in his delivery and does a good job of keeping the ball on the ground when making contact. With early season promotion, it’s not unreasonable to think he’ll finish his first full pro season in Double A.
Macker opens his eyes
He won’t draw a crowd on stage day like Vaun Brown, but outfielder Wade Meckler is making his best Brown impression with a stellar first full pro season. The 2022 eight-round pick compiles video game numbers for High-A Eugene, posting a ridiculous .489/.538/.689 line in 12 games to date. That was after an impressive pro debut last season when he hit .367/.500/.544 with 20 walks and 16 strikeouts in 79 at-bats in rookie ball and low A.
Meckler, 23, doesn’t project himself as a great power hitter, but the 5-foot-10 left-hander does have a little pop in his racquet.
He has always controlled the hitting zone well, dating back to his days at Oregon State where he had a .435 OBP in 135 games. So far in his pro career, he has run 26 times in 152 PA. He was a late bloomer who carried on at Oregon State and didn’t become a regular player until his senior season. He has a cerebral approach to hitting and he uses the whole field well. Meckler can play all three outfield positions, although he’s spent most of his time as a pro at left flank and center. He is not a pure burner, but leads the bases well. In general, he’s the kind of player who doesn’t have a specific carrying tool (despite plate discipline being well above average), but he does everything well.
Ragsdale is back and better than ever
After missing almost all of last season while recovering from surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome, 6-8 right-hander Carson Ragsdale has made a dominant start for the Emeralds. In four starts over 16 2/3 innings, Ragsdale has conceded just 10 hits, five runs and three walks while he has hit 26.
Ragsdale’s command was particularly impressive, especially considering he averaged five walks per nine innings in South Florida college and walked 3.6 per nine for San Jose in 2021, his last healthy season. All three of his hikes this season came on his first outing. Since then he has not run for 12 2/3 innings while batting 22. Each of his last two starts has been a four-inning, two-hit outing.
Originally a fourth-round pick by the Phillies in 2020, Ragsdale made his professional debut in the Giants chain when he signed for Sam Coonrod in January 2021. He’s a bit old for the level due to last year’s lost season, but Ragsdale’s stuff and physique make him a legitimate entry-level contender. He was a two-way prospect (1B) in college and only pitched 50 1/3 innings at USF, so he has a lot less wear and tear on his arm than most pitchers his age.
He can run his fastball up to 96, and with his long extension, the pitch gets to the bats even faster. His big, slow curveball is his best secondary throw, and he’s been throwing it for strikes consistently this season. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him testing in the Double A sometime mid-season.
Injury updates: Luciano, Brown on the mend
• Marco Luciano has been on the injury list all season after recovering from a back injury, but Giants farm director Kyle Haines says he is set to make his season debut with Double-A Richmond sometime this week.
• Vaun Brown (knee) will eventually join Luciano in Richmond but made his rehab debut at San Jose this weekend, where he played 5-10 (all singles) in two games with two stolen bases.
• Injury news is not so good for outfielder Jairo Pomares, who was held back from extensive spring training with lower back and leg problems. He’s pulled a quadriceps and isn’t expected back any time soon.
• Outfielder Michael Gigliotti made an impressive start for Triple-A Sacramento but ended up on the 7-day list last week with an undisclosed injury. The 2021 Rule 5 minor league selection bats .283/.392/.483 with two homers and a 10-7 BB-7 in 18 games.
Notable achievements
• It’s been an uneven start to the season for top talent Kyle Harrison, but he’s progressed in the right direction. After allowing eight walks and four runs in 2 2/3 innings in his first two starts for Triple-A Sacramento, Harrison has allowed just three runs in 13 innings in his last four starts. Walks were still a problem (13) but he has axed 22 at this stretch. He’s averaging more than 21 pitches an innings after averaging just 17 an innings the past two seasons, which has prevented him from getting deep into the games. The Pacific Coast League is using the Automatic Ball Strike system this season.
• Outfielder Luis Matos doesn’t snatch the ball away for Richmond, but he’s off to a much better start than last season when he posted a .421 OPS for Eugene in April. In 19 games with Richmond, Matos hits .246/.366/.348. The power wasn’t there, but he’s already walked 13 times (against nine strikeouts) after walking just 28 times in 93 games throughout the 2022 season. He continues to play well above average midfield.
• Infielder Casey Schmitt has yet to play to his strengths at Sacramento, but the 24-year-old finished April with a .301 BA. He hasn’t homed yet and his K:BB is 24-5, but he drove in 19 and continued to play plus defense at both third base and shortstop.
• Midfielder Grant McCray has batted just .149/.284/.270 in 19 games for Eugene this season, but the 5-tool contender has had some bad luck. He’s been among the exit velocity leaders in the minor leagues for most of the season, but his BABIP is just .238. Strikeouts continued to be an issue as he leads the team with 31 in 88 PA.
• Infielder Aeverson Arteaga also made a slow start for the Emeralds. In 18 games he hits .186/.293/.314. The BABIP gods were not on his side either (.255). He has struck 23 times in 82 PA and run 10 times.
• Right-hander Kai-Wei Teng is in the midst of a breakthrough season after a tough 2022 with Richmond. On his return to Double-A, Teng has a 2.93 ERA and a 30-6 K:BB in 15 1/3 innings over four starts. The 3.5 BB/9 would be Teng’s best BB/9 mark since 2019 when he had 2.2 BB/9 for low-A Augusta. He has averaged more than five walks per nine innings for the past two seasons. His 17.6 K/9 would also be a career best.
• Left-hander Chris Wright pleads for a chance in Giants bullpen. After two scoreless games in Richmond, he moved to Sacramento, where he ran in 4 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts and three walks. Wright has a 2.43 ERA in 122 1/3 career innings and a 179:68 K:BB.
• Right-hander Landen Roupp was left off the development list last Sunday, having thrown three innings scoreless for Richmond on his 2023 debut. He struck six and walked one.
• 19-year-old midfielder Diego Velasquez is off to a flying start at San Jose. In 17 games, he hits .303/.390/.424 with nine walks and six extra base hits.
• Infielders Luis Toribio and Logan Wyatt are playing well for Eugene after a disappointing and injury-plagued 2022 season. Toribio leads the club with four homers and has a .271/.380/.525 line in 17 games. He ran 11 times and punched 25 times. Wyatt has three homers, which ties him for his career-high for each full season. In 18 games he has a .246/.350/.435 line with 11 walks and 24 strikeouts.
• After a 20-20 season for Richmond in 2022, shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald has been swinging the bat well for the Flying Squirrels this season. In 19 games, he has a .324/.410/.588 line with two home runs and three stolen bases. He has already played nine times on foot after recording just 37 draws in 125 games last season, but his strikeouts (22) remain high.
• Right-hander Keaton Winn is still building his PCL sea legs. In five games (three starts) for Sacramento, he has a 5.51 ERA in 16 1/3 innings. He has allowed 22 hits (but only one home run) with nine walks and 15 strikeouts.
• Oncoming Blake Rivera was dominant in six games for Richmond, conceding just one unearned run with four hits and two hit-by-pitches. He dropped 11. Left-hander Nick Swiney, who shot from the bullpen this season, has also been dominant for Richmond, enabling a seven-hit, four-walk run with 14 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings.
• Right-handers Nick Sinacola and Eric Silva ended April strong for Eugene. Sincola, a 2021 seventh-round pick, has a 1.06 ERA and a 21-6 K:BB in 17 innings. Silva, a 2021 fourth-rounder, has a 1.80 ERA and an 11-6 K:BB in 15 innings.
• East Bay native UOP grad Thomas Gavello leads San Jose with three homers and .996 OPS in April. The left-handed utility player has an OBP of 0.451. He has shown defensive versatility, logging games to catcher, second base, and third base.
(Top Photo by Patrick Bailey: David Durochik / Diamond Images via Getty Images)
