The Giants’ current major league roster is full of talented homegrown players who rose through the ranks of the farm system to become contributors for the big league club. Their current stable of prospects is not considered to be one of the best groups in the majors, but there are certainly several names who could either make an impact at the MLB level in the near future, or could carry significant value as a trade asset.
With the injury bug having already bitten the Giants hard this season, the team has been forced to deal with several key contributors missing extended periods of time, like Hunter Pence, Matt Cain, Sergio Romo, Angel Pagan, and most recently Matt Duffy. These injuries have and will put extra spotlight on the youngsters as potential replacements or as trade bait to acquire a useful veteran.
Some of the Giants’ highly touted minor leaguers have already gotten looks this season, Chris Stratton and Mac Williamson, the Giants’ first and third round picks in 2012, respectively. Neither made a huge splash and both have made several trips back and forth between AAA and the bigs, but their arrivals showed that the next wave of prospects are on the verge of making an impact.
San Francisco’s top two prospects, Tyler Beede and Christian Arroyo, currently play for Double-A Richmond. Both were first round picks, with Arroyo selected out of high school in 2013 and Beede drafted out of Vanderbilt in 2014.
Arroyo was originally projected as a shortstop, but has experimented at both second and third base in the past two seasons in order to give him extra versatility as he climbs the ladder toward the majors. He hit .556 in spring training with the Giants this year, and is currently hitting .285 with 19 doubles for the Flying Squirrels. Beede, a starting pitcher, is in the midst of his best full season to date, posting a 3.10 ERA across 12 starts in the Eastern League.
Beede has been widely regarded as the Giants’ top trade piece, and the most frequently involved player in the “keep-or-trade” debate had by Giants fans this season. Arroyo would also carry weight as a prospect involved in any trade, and it might make some sense for San Francisco to consider trading him given the long-term logjam in the infield on the 25-man roster.
Phil Bickford and Lucius Fox may be the two Giants prospects with the brightest futures, but also the most distant futures. Bickford was the Giants’ first round pick in 2015 out of the College of Southern Nevada, and the right-handed flamethrower has already played well enough to earn a promotion. He threw 22 innings in the Arizona rookie league last season, and began this year at A-ball Augusta, where he struck out 69 batters and posted a 2.70 ERA in 60 innings. He was promoted to High-A San Jose last week and struck out 13 in just six innings in a winning effort in his first start for the team.
Fox is just 18 years old and was signed as a shortstop out of the Bahamas last year with a $6 million signing bonus. He currently carries a .210 batting average at Augusta but has swiped 15 bags and hit three triples. The Giants are playing the long game with Fox, as he will likely finish out the year in Augusta before giving it a go in San Jose next season. Of course, the youngster could put it together quickly and jump up a level before this season ends, but there is plenty of time for him to develop.
The Giants also have two rising arms that are beginning to make people take notice with strong performances to start the season. Sam Coonrod was San Francisco’s fifth round pick in 2014 and has slowly made his way up the ranks since then. He began this year in San Jose and put up a superb 1.98 ERA in 11 starts. He has since been promoted to Richmond to join Beede and Arroyo, but he struggled in his first start, allowing 5 earned runs in 6.2 innings. Coonrod is probably still at least a year away from getting a call to the show, but he could be an intriguing arm for teams looking for compensation in a July trade, should the Giants refuse to let go of Beede.
Adalberto Mejia is the other streaking pitcher in the Giants’ farm system right now, having just been bumped up to AAA Sacramento after an auspicious start in Richmond. Despite being handed a 50-game suspension for PEDs at the beginning of the 2015 season, he finished last year with a 2.45 ERA for the Flying Squirrels and started out with a 1.94 ERA there this year before shining in his first start with Sacramento last weekend. The southpaw threw seven scoreless innings and struck out eight batters in a win, showing that the 23-year old could be next in line if spot starts are needed with the big league club through the rest of 2016.
The Giants’ strength in the minors is clearly pitching, which puts extra focus on any young hitter who does manage to shine in the lower levels. The last couple years, Williamson filled the role of the promising slugger, but now, 2015 compensatory pick (31st overall) Chris Shaw has taken over and mashed 26 homers over 111 games between Low-A Salem-Keizer and San Jose the past two seasons. Shaw came to the Giants from Boston College and, at 22 years old, could be moved along quickly if he continues to hit well. He might finish this season in Richmond or Sacramento if he continues to rake. He plays first base, but Brandon Belt’s outfield versatility could help the Giants work things out if Shaw forces his way into the San Francisco lineup down the line.
The discussion surrounding these names will ramp up as their seasons progress and the calendar nears July 31st, and Brian Sabean and Bobby Evans will have to be very cautious in evaluating who could be included in a trade and who should be held onto. Though they may not have the deepest farm system, most of the players at the top of the Giants’ prospects rankings are playing well and progressing nicely, which will surely keep the front office, as well as the fans, excited and optimistic about the future.