In a season that has seen the Giants struggle as players come and go, the same can’t be said about the club’s minor-league system.
For years, the Giants have been ridiculed for not giving enough attention to younger players. However, things have changed.
With all of the struggles that have come over the past years, that has allowed San Francisco to restock its farm system. They now have some of the top talents in the minors.
As was done in July, for the midseason prospect report, the end-of-the-year prospect report is now upon us.
Unlike the midseason report, the season’s-end edition will feature player rankings.
1. Buster Posey, Catcher
Yeah, he only played a few weeks in the Arizona Rookie League, but what the 21-year-old catcher brings to the table puts him on the fast track to the majors. Serving mostly as a designated hitter, Posey hit .385 with one home run and four RBI in just 26 at-bats.
Obviously, these are the most impressive, so here are his numbers from this past season at Florida State: .463, 26 HR, 93 RBI, 1.455 OPS in just 68 games. Oh, and just in case you thought being recently converted to a catcher is tough, he is being called by most scouts as being major-league ready behind the plate right now.
Posey has been promoted twice in about a week. He first joined short-season Salem-Keizer for the team’s playoff push, going 3-for-11 with two RBI. He will now join Class A San Jose for the California League playoffs.
2. Madison Bumgarner, Starting Pitcher
The 19-year-old Bumgarner delivered one of the best seasons in the minors this season. He was dominant from season’s beginning to end and was named the South Atlantic League’s top pitcher last week.
The numbers Bumgarner has put up in 2008 have been mind-boggling. His final regular-season stats are as follows: 15-3, 1.46 ERA, 164 strikeouts, and only 21 walks in 141.2 innings, claiming the SAL’s pitching triple crown.
He did not allow a home run to a left-handed hitter all season long, finished the season winning 14 of his final 15 starts, and had a 38-inning scoreless streak that ended last week in his final start of the regular season.
3. Angel Villalona, First Base
Despite hitting under .250 at the break, "Big V" earned a spot on the World team for this season’s Futures Game at Yankee Stadium. Since the break, the recently turned 18-year-old Dominican has raised his average almost 20 points and has seemed to turn a corner after struggling for most of the first half at Low-A Augusta.
He finished the regular season hitting .263, led Augusta in home runs (17), and was second in RBI (64). However, he does need to improve his plate discipline (118 strikeouts in 123 games), but the Giants expect him to do so as he becomes older and works his way up through the system.
4. Pablo Sandoval, Catcher/Infielder
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