San Francisco Giants 2008 Prospect Report: Who Cracks the Top 10?

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

This has been a breakout year for Sandoval, who soared through the Giants' system before getting the call to the bigs a few weeks back. What has he done since the call? "Just continued to rake" would be the best answer, if you wanted to understate things.

Not only has he shown that he has one of the best bats in the system, he has shown great versatility in that he can pick it at the hot corner. His minor-league numbers this seasons are flat-out scary: .350, 20 HR, 96 RBI, and .913 OPS. That includes only 59 strikeouts in 489 plate appearances between High-A San Jose and Double-A Connecticut.

In 16 games with the Giants this season, Sandoval has hit .367 with one home run and four RBI. With Bengie Molina under contract through 2009 and Buster Posey waiting in the wings, it seems like Sandoval will find himself on one of the corners.

5. Tim Alderson, Starting Pitcher

With fellow 2007 first-round draftee Bumgarner getting all the headlines, Alderson has seemed to fly somewhat under the radar, as far as Giants pitching prospects go. He hasn’t been as dominant as Bumgarner, but his 2008 season has still been very productive.

His 13 wins were tied for second in the Cal League, while Alderson claimed the ERA title with a 2.79 mark. He also recorded the lowest WHIP among starters (1.09) and ranked fourth in strikeouts (124).

Alderson will begin next season at Double-A, just a few months after turning 20.

6. Nate Schierholtz, Outfield

The odd-man out in the Giants' youth movement this season, Schierholtz was sent to Triple-A Fresno to get everyday playing time instead just wasting away on the bench in the majors.

He certainly made his case for a job going into spring training next year, hitting .320 with 18 home runs and 73 RBI. His numbers are lower than usual because he missed almost the entire month of August while he was with the USA Olympic Team in Beijing.

Although he only hit .216 while wearing the stars and stripes, he was second on the team with six RBI and tied for the team lead with four doubles.

7. Nick Noonan, Second Base/Shortstop

After a strong first half of 2008, Noonan’s average his slipped a little bit as the season has come to an end. Despite the average falling a bit in the second half of the season, Noonan has had a very good follow-up campaign after impressing in 2007.

The 19-year-old, technically sound middle infielder finished the season with nine home runs, 68 RBI, and 29 stolen bases to go along with his .279 average. If Noonan improves on his plate discipline (98 strikeouts vs. 24 walks in 119 games) and therefore on-base percentage (.315), then he could quickly move up the organization’s ladder.

8. Rafael Rodriguez, Outfield

The 16-year-old Dominican outfielder signed for a then-club record $2.55 million back in July. The 6’5”, 198-pound Rodriguez has drawn raves from Giants executives and is expected to gain weight and add muscle to his already large frame as he gets older and progresses through the system. Much like Villalona, the Giants will take things slow with Rodriguez. He will make his professional debut in 2009.

9. Wendell Fairley, Outfield

He was one of the best athletes in the draft when the Giants took him 29th overall in the 2007 draft. However, he has had a quiet professional debut, playing with the Giants’ Arizona Rookie League team.

In 52 games, Fairley hit .259, with just two home runs, 17 RBI, and struck out 37 times, showing that he is still very raw at the plate. However, he did have a .388 on-base percentage and added seven stolen bases. Like a lot of the Giants' young hitting prospects, he will move slowly through the system, so don’t expect to hear his name at AT&T Park for at least three more years.

10. Waldis Joaguin, Pitcher

You are probably more familiar with “Where’s Waldo” than Waldis Joaquin, but the Giants are certainly happy to have this 21-year-old in their system. Armed with a 95-mph fastball and a power slider, Joaquin was projected as a starter at the start of the season, but he has worked the majority of the year out of the bullpen, while making stops at both High- and Low-A affiliates.

His ERA is not too impressive (4.42), but the 73 strikeouts in 71.1 innings is something to be pleased with. He will probably start next season in San Jose, and reaching Double-A is a possibility.

Others to watch: Henry Sosa, RHP; Conor Gillaspie, 3B; Brandon Crawford, SS; Kevin Pucetes, RHP; Thomas Neal, OF; Mike McBryde, OF; Clayton Tanner, LHP.