San Francisco Giants: A Brief Look at the Team's Future Pitching Staff

The Giants, currently 50-44 and second in the Wild Card race, have the opportunity to race into the playoffs and surprise a few teams...granted they need to hit the ball when they are not playing next to the Bay. Everyone knew they would at least be this good, just not this soon.

The young guns in the rotation are lead by the two-headed monster of Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, who are a combined 21-4, and easily the best top of the rotation in baseball. Following them is a rebounding Barry Zito who shows brilliant flashes of his 2002 Cy Young season, but then also show signs of his dreadful 2008 season. Then comes the rare talent of Jonathan Sanchez who can be one of the best lefties in the game if he limits walks.

The present, however, was not the highlight of this Giants pitching staff coming into the season, and it still is not. The Giants organization will not let Lincecum get away, no matter how much he costs, and they will keep Cain around to complement him for years to come. Then, after Zito's burden of a contract, there are still many other young arms in the minors.

The young arms include future stars Madison Bumgarner (almost 20 years old) and Tim Alderson (20). Even beyond that you can look forward to Henry Sosa (24), Kevin Pucetas (24), Daryl Maday (almost 24), Jesse English (24), Ben Snyder (24), and Waldis Joaquin (22). 

In AAA, Pucetas is 9-2 with a 3.43 ERA and not far from AT&T Park.

In AA, Bumgarner is 6-1 with a 1.59 ERA, and Alderson is 6-1 with a 3.29 ERA.

In addition:

Maday: 4-3/ 3.94.
Sosa: 6-0/ 2.36
English: 6-6/ 3.57
Snyder: 3-3/2.10
Joaquin: 3-5/ 3.09

Just to mention these pitchers, the Giants minor league system can be classified as "stacked" with arms, and these players can even be used as part of a package for an established major league hitter for the current playoff run.

Looking to the bullpen, the Giants already have one of the best crops of relievers in the league.  Brian Wilson is a solid closer, though he still has to work on a few control issues, and Jeremy Affeldt is thriving as the setup man.

Brandon Medders has a bright future ahead of him, and Justin Miller has pitched extremely well as a long reliever. Sergio Romo has also done extremely well, with the exception of his last two outings. 

The only concern will be finding the money to sign these players long-term, mainly Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner, and Alderson.  For years to come, you should expect to see zeros lighting up the scoreboard, just hopefully not for both sides.