Stock Up, Stock Down for the San Francisco Giants' Top 10 Prospects in Week 7
The 2015 baseball season is now in full swing for the San Francisco Giants and their minor league affiliates.
After the first week of the season, I filed a similar report on how the Giants' top prospects were shaping up.
The top prospect on that original list was Andrew Susac, who has been recently promoted to San Francisco.
Also removed from the list is Adalberto Mejia, who is serving a 50-game suspension after testing positive for a banned substance.
Adam Duvall and Daniel Carbonell have been added to our list of prospects, replacing Susac and Mejia.
With the season nearly two months old, let's get an update on how the Giants' top prospects are faring.
No. 10: Mac Williamson, Outfielder
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Mac Williamson is off to a good start for the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the Giants' Double-A affiliate. The right fielder is attempting to make a comeback after undergoing elbow surgery and playing in only 23 games last year.
Williamson is hitting a robust .315, with an OBP of .368 and OPS of .836. In 143 at-bats, he has four home runs and 23 RBI. It is possible that Williamson earns a promotion to Sacramento at some point this season.
The Giants are well-stocked in the outfield with Hunter Pence playing the same position as Williamson. In addition, with Angel Pagan, Nori Aoki, Gregor Blanco and Justin Maxwell, there is no room for an additional outfielder.
Barring a series of injuries, do not look for Williamson to make it to San Francisco in 2015, although he could be in line for a September call-up.
Williamson could also be used as trade bait should the Giants make some deals prior to the late July trade deadline.
Stock is up for Mac Williamson.
No. 9: Daniel Carbonell, Outfielder
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The San Francisco Giants signed Daniel Carbonell, a Cuban national, in June 2014.
Prior to signing with the Giants, Carbonell had played four seasons in his native Cuba. In 568 at-bats, Carbonell hit .287, with nine home runs and 70 RBI. Hitting toward the top of the order, Carbonell scored 119 runs.
Carbonell is currently playing in Richmond, the Giants' Double-A affiliate. He has struggled at the plate, hitting only .164, with an OBP of .209 and OPS of .390. In 122 at-bats, Carbonell has no home runs and only seven RBI. The lone bright spot is his seven stolen bases.
Carbonell, who can play all three outfield positions, has a good potential upside. However, the Giants will need to be patient with him.
Stock is down for Daniel Carbonell.
No. 8: Hunter Strickland, Relief Pitcher
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Heading into the spring, it looked like Hunter Strickland would be a fairly good bet to make the Giants' 15-man roster. However, Strickland was beaten out by Jean Machi and George Kontos, so he opened the season with the Sacramento River Cats, the Giants' Triple-A affiliate.
Strickland has a high-octane fastball, but he needed to work on his secondary pitches. So far, the results have been favorable.
In 14 games, spanning 20.2 innings pitched, Strickland has allowed only 14 hits and three walks while striking out 22. His five saves and strikeout-to-walk ratio of 22-to-3 are outstanding.
Strickland has an ERA of 1.74 and a WHIP of 0.82. Perhaps most important is the fact that Strickland has not allowed a home run after struggling with the long ball in the 2014 postseason.
Over the course of a long season, pitching reinforcements are invariably needed. Strickland has kept his name at the top of the list for the Giants should they need to call up another reliever.
Stock is up for Hunter Strickland.
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No. 7: Keury Mella, Starting Pitcher
4 of 10Keury Mella has made seven starts in the 2015 season for San Jose, the Giants' High-A affiliate.
He has done well, compiling an ERA of 3.06 and a WHIP of 1.16 over 35.1 innings of work. Mella has thrown the ball well, featuring a fastball in the mid- to upper 90s. He has been working to improve his off-speed pitches, as well.
Mella, who is only 21 years of age, has a huge upside. What has been particularly impressive is his 30 strikeouts against only eight walks.
Stock is up for Keury Mella.
No. 6: Steven Okert, Relief Pitcher
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Left-handed reliever Steven Okert pitched extremely well in 2014, starting the year in San Jose, then earning a promotion to Richmond. Okert also was successful in the Arizona Fall League.
Okert has not been as dominant as he was in 2014, when he fashioned a cumulative ERA of 2.11 and a WHIP of 1.16. In 68.1 innings of work, he struck out 92 against 22 walks.
Now pitching in Sacramento, the Giants' Triple-A affiliate, Okert has thrown 17.1 innings and allowed 16 hits and seven walks while striking out 21. His ERA is 3.12 to go along with a WHIP of 1.33.
If anything were to happen to left-handed relievers Jeremy Affeldt or Javier Lopez, Okert is a good candidate to be brought up to the majors. Look for him as a potential September call-up, also.
Stock is neutral for Steven Okert.
No. 5: Kyle Crick, Starting Pitcher
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Kyle Crick was the Giants' top draft pick in 2011. He was a supplemental first-round selection, the 49th overall.
Now pitching at Double-A Richmond, Crick has at times been dominant, but at other times, he struggles with his control. Inconsistency continues to be an issue for Crick.
In six starts, Crick has thrown only 23.2 innings, averaging less than four innings per outing. The issue with Crick is that his pitch count climbs too quickly, largely because of his inconsistent command.
Crick has allowed 18 hits but 17 walks while striking out 31. The 17 walks are excessive, and unless Crick can improve on that, he will be destined to remain in the minor leagues or even be used as trade bait, something that was not even considered a couple of years ago.
Stock is down for Kyle Crick.
No. 4: Christian Arroyo, Shortstop
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Christian Arroyo was off to a fast start in his first seven games. In 28 at-bats, Arroyo was hitting .321, with an OBP of .367 and OPS of 1.045. He had two home runs and five RBI. The only knock was his 10 strikeouts.
Unfortunately, Arroyo suffered an oblique injury and has not played since April 15.
Stock is down for Christian Arroyo.
No. 3: Adam Duvall, Corner Infielder
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Adam Duvall has big-time power and could make an impact in San Francisco or elsewhere. The issue is that Duvall is primarily a first baseman, and the Giants are well-stocked at that position with Brandon Belt and Buster Posey.
The Giants tried Duvall at third base in spring training, but he was a major liability on defense. He has been working at third base in Sacramento but still has a lot of improving to do.
Barring injury to Brandon Belt, third base appears to give Duvall the best opportunity to make it to San Francisco.
Casey McGehee has not been productive and is also on a one-year contract. Joaquin Arias and Matt Duffy have been given some opportunities at third base, but both are utility players at this stage in their careers.
In Sacramento, Duvall is hitting .321, with an OBP of .359 and OPS of .987. He has 11 home runs and 34 RBI in 156 at-bats, which is quite impressive. Duvall leads the Giants' minor league system in both home runs and RBI.
If the Giants continue to keep Duvall in the minors, he could be used as trade bait to a team looking for a first baseman or designated hitter.
Stock is up for Adam Duvall.
No. 2: Ty Blach, Starting Pitcher
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Ty Blach is getting valuable seasoning in Triple-A with the Sacramento River Cats. He has had mixed results, however, as he is giving up a lot of hits. The Pacific Coast League is known as a hitter's league, so Blach's hits allowed are not overly alarming.
Blach has excellent command and pitches to contact, but sometimes, those hits can find holes. In eight starts, covering 49.1 innings, Blach has allowed 57 hits and three walks while striking out 26. He has an ERA of 3.83 and WHIP of 1.22.
The most impressive stat is his three walks in over 49 innings of work. With Jake Peavy looking like he will return from injury soon and Chris Heston doing well, do not look for Blach in San Francisco right away.
Barring more injuries to the Giants starters, the most likely scenario is that Blach could be a September call-up.
Stock is neutral for Ty Blach.
No. 1: Tyler Beede, Starting Pitcher
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Tyler Beede was the Giants' Round 1 pick in the 2014 draft, the 14th overall selection.
Currently pitching for San Jose, the Giants' High-A affiliate, Beede has started seven games and worked a total of 39.1 innings. He has allowed 41 hits and seven walks while striking out 23. His ERA is a solid 2.97 to go along with a WHIP of 1.22.
Seven walks in 39.1 innings is a good total. It shows the command that Beede possesses, even at a young age. He will turn 22 on May 23.
Look for Beede to pitch in San Jose this year and move up to Richmond in 2016. He is still a couple of years away from the major leagues, but the outlook is good for him.
Stock is up for Tyler Beede.
Note: All stats courtesy of MiLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com.
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