San Francisco Giants June Prospect Report: Buster Posey On the Move to Triple-A?

Six weeks after the San Francisco Giants’ top two pitching prospects got a somewhat-anticipated promotion, the other part of the highly touted battery of the future is reportedly getting moved up as well.

It may not be in the same fashion as his magical mystery tour from a year ago after he received a $6.2 million bonus, but uber-prospect Buster Posey seems to be on the move again.

While he did put up astronomical numbers at Florida State en route to winning the Golden Spikes Award last year, his numbers with San Jose are pretty impressive when you consider he only played a handful of games after he signed.

An offensive stat line that includes a .321 batting average, 11 home runs, 48 RBI, and a .956 OPS means you’re a lock to be a Cal League All-Star and that’s what Posey did in the first half of the 2009 season.

Not too shabby.

Because of his extreme mashing of California League pitching for the first three months of the season, leading the little Giants of San Jose to another first-half title, Posey is now on his way to make Pacific Coast League pitchers his next victim.

But as we heard with Posey, we knew he could hit, it’s the progress he made behind the plate calling games and learning the nuances of being an everyday catcher in professional baseball that is starting to impress.

Giants General Manager Brian Sabean and the rest of the player development staff wouldn’t promote Posey if they didn’t feel he was excelling in both aspects and they certainly wouldn’t be planning on him skipping Double-A and going right to Fresno.

However, the anticipated promotion might be delayed. After Posey was recently hit in the head with a pitch, the Grizzlies might have to wait a little bit longer before they see him in the everyday lineup.

There reportedly aren’t any serious problems with the aftermath of the knock to the head, but with Posey being the biggest and the closest big-time prospect to making an impact with the big club in the system, there’s obvious reason to be precautious.

He may have missed the final four games to close out the month of June, but it’s only a matter of time before Posey gets the long-awaited promotion to Triple-A Fresno.

Posey is making a B-line right for AT&T Park with an anticipated arrival date of Spring 2010.

The “Don’t Forget About Me” Club in San Jose

With all the attention that Posey gets, and it’s not like he has done anything to not garner the kind of pub he gets, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the other bats in the middle of the order are quite good as well.

The biggest bat in the Little Giants’ lineup this season not named Buster Posey has to be outfielder Thomas Neal, who came into the season as the organization’s No. 23 ranked prospect, according to Baseball America.

Neal’s numbers speak for themselves: A .345 average, 22 doubles, 13 HR, 47 RBI, and a 1.029 OPS in 70 games at San Jose.

And we thought Posey had serious power numbers.

Neal is teamed in the outfield with Giants’ No. 14 prospect and third-round pick, Roger Kieschnick. His 15 home runs ranks him fifth in the Cal League, 58 RBI ranks him third, and his .304 average and .879 OPS isn’t anything to slouch at.

Then there is of course, 18-year-old first baseman Angel Villalona.

Big V has been struggling at the beginning of the second half schedule with his average sitting at .271 but his power numbers are still good. His nine home runs put him fourth on the team, which shows the kind of depth the lineup has.

Just remember though, he’s still developing his game at 18 years of age and will usually be the youngest player at every level he plays at.

However, there are also pitchers having good seasons down in Silicon Valley, including the forgotten arm in the top ten rankings.

Scott Barnes, the Giants’ No. 9 ranked prospect, has become the most-heralded pitcher in the rotation since the departure of Madison Bumgarner and Tim Alderson in mid-May.

Barnes’ stats are very good for a pitcher in his first-full season as a professional. His 3.44 ERA ranks him sixth in the Cal League

Fellow lefty Clayton Tanner, the No. 20 ranked prospect, has had an equally effective 2009, going 6-2 and ranks just ahead of Barnes with a 3.16 ERA.

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