San Francisco Giants: Breaking Down the Top Five Prospects in the Giants' System

For the first time in a long time, the San Francisco Giants farm system is being carried by a position player and not a pitcher.

All of those power arms they drafted for over the last decade carried them to a World Series in 2010 and another one, Zack Wheeler, was used in a trade to deal for Carlos Beltran last July. 

Graduations and trades have taken the shine off the system, but there is one potential All-Star in the minors and a few intriguing players with upside who will play their first full seasons in professional baseball. 

Here are the five best prospects in the Giants' system as we enter the 2012 season. 

1. Gary Brown, OF, 23

Unlike former farmhands Brandon Belt and Buster Posey, the Giants played it conservatively with top prospect Gary Brown in 2011.

He spent the whole year in high Class A, hitting .336/.407/.519 in 559 at-bats. He was ready for a promotion to Double-A, but will be headed there to start the 2012 season. 

Strengths: The first thing that jumps out when evaluating Brown is his speed. He is one of the fastest runners in baseball, with the ability to turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples with ease.

His eye at the plate is advanced, and he uses a short, quick stroke to make contact in pitcher's counts. He covers a lot of ground defensively, which is perfect for spacious AT&T Park. He doesn't have a great arm, but he is accurate with his throws. 

Weaknesses: Brown does have a nice swing, but he is not likely to hit for a lot of power in the big leagues. He will hit a lot more doubles and triples than home runs, though he will be hitting at the top of the lineup so it's easier to live with. He could stand to be a little more patient at the plate–he drew just 46 walks last season. 

Report: Even though Melky Cabrera was acquired by the Giants to play center field, Brown is on the fast track to the big leagues. He is an advanced hitter and plays good defense in center already, so he could be in the leadoff spot for the Giants before the end of the season. 

ETA: 2013

2. Joe Panik, SS, 21

When the Giants made Panik their first round pick in 2011, there was a lot of skepticism. He was a solid player, but there were others available with more upside. While that still holds true, he does not look like the bad pick he did when it was first announced. 

Strengths: Panik is not a great prospect, but he does look like he can hit. At St. John's and during Arizona Fall League, he showed a good knowledge of the strike zone and the ability to work counts in his favor.

He does not have a lot of power, but will hit his share of doubles. 

Weaknesses: Aside from hitting, he is not a great prospect to watch because he won't wow you in any other area. His arm is not built to handle short, but he does have strong enough instincts to make plays in the hole.

His speed is average, at best. 

Report: Depending on where Panik plays in the field--he should stay at short in the minors until he proves he can't handle it—he could be an average big leaguer.

His bat should play at second or short, but defense and his ability to play up his other tools will determine his success or failure. 

ETA: 2013

3. Heath Hembree, RHP, 22

While the Giants are set at closer with Brian Wilson, Hembree is going to be knocking on the bullpen door eventually.

It does speak to the lack of depth they have right now that a power reliever with no chance to start as one of their top 5 prospects. 

Strengths: Hembree is a three-pitch reliever, with a great fastball that sits in the mid-90s and has tremendous movement. His slider and changeup aren't as good as the fastball, but as long as he can control one of them he will be fine as a late-inning, high-leverage arm.

He gets easy velocity, though he does short arm the ball. 

Weaknesses: His value is limited because he is a reliever, and we have seen plenty of potentially dominant closers fall apart for one reason or another. His control has never been good, but so far he has been effectively wild. 

Report: He is probably going to be called up before the end of the season, especially if they are fighting for a playoff spot late in the season and need another arm to take some pressure off Wilson.

He will eventually take over the closer's role. 

ETA: Late-2012

4. Kyle Crick, RHP, 19

Crick is the kind of prospect that made the Giants champions in 2010.

He has the potential to pitch at the top of a rotation, but there is a lot of risk involved predicting that since he took to pitching late and has only thrown seven innings in Rookie Ball. 

Strengths: He already has a strong arsenal of power pitches in his repertoire. His fastball is a low-90s offering that jumps out of his hand.

He has a good looking slider that could be a wipeout pitch when he gets more experience and a better feel for it. 

Weaknesses: As impressive as the raw stuff looks, Crick has a lot of work to do in order to get it to play. His delivery is almost all arm right now, because he is still learning to use his lower half. His command is a work-in progress, and he has to start throwing a change-up in the minors. 

Report: The ceiling for Crick is high, but the odds of him reaching it right now are incredibly long. He has the upside of a No. 2 starter.

Since he is just starting his career, I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, at least for now. 

ETA: 2016

5. Tommy Joseph, C, 20

While the Giants already have a catcher in Buster Posey, there is some doubt about how long he will stay behind the plate.

Joesph's performance in 2011 gave the team something to think about if they don't want Posey to get beat up or risk another injury like the one he suffered last year. 

Strengths: Joseph has a short swing, but still generates good power. He hit 22 home runs in high Class A last season. He has a strong throwing arm and improved his skills behind the plate to the point where he should be average defensively. 

Weaknesses: He has never been one to work the count. In two seasons, he has drawn 55 walks in 950 at-bats. He did make more contact last year than he did in 2010, but he is not going to hit for a high average. 

Report: As long as his defense remains at the level it did last year, Joseph has the potential to be a solid big league catcher. His power will play, but he has to get better at working counts and making consistent contact. 

ETA: 2013

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