Giants broadcaster Duane Kuiper isn’t buying Baseball America’s most recent list of the Top 100 Prospects in Major League Baseball, which features just one player in the Giants’ organization, starting pitcher Tyler Beede, ranked 89th.
“I always look at these reports about how they rate the Giants’ minor league system and the bottom line is they’re usually a bunch of crap,” Kuiper said to Murph and Mac on Wednesday morning. “Because there are guys every year who earn spots on this roster, and that’s how you really define what your minor league system is about.”
For starters, Kuiper believes that Beede, 23, may be a Major League caliber pitcher right now, and could be good enough to join one of the best rotations in baseball as early as next season, especially with Johnny Cueto’s long-term future up in the air.
“If you remember when the Giants were contemplating deals three years ago, two years ago, last year at the trading deadline, I think the two guys they were not going to mess with was (Christian) Arroyo and (Tyler) Beede,” Kuiper said. “Cause they felt like these guys are really close to enabling them to get a little relief in their rotation money-wise. Johnny Cueto can opt out after the season, and no one knows if he’s gonna do that, and if he does do that they’re gonna need somebody to replace him. So Beede is one of those guys that has a shot to do that.”
Beede was excellent with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate Sacramento Rivercats last season, posting a 2.81 in 24 starts while striking out 8.2 per nine innings.
Additionally, Kuiper believes the Giants excellent track record of producing home grown talent over the better half of a decade is an indication that San Francisco’s minor league system is a consistent strength. Three of the four Giants outfielders and Buster Posey were all drafted by the club.
“You look around at all the homegrown talent,” Kuiper said. “When (Matt) Duffy was in the lineup before the Giants traded him, that whole infield was homegrown. You can’t say so much about that in the outfield, but you know maybe this year one of those two guys in left will be one of the two guys (Mac Williamson and Jarrett Parker) that will be a staple in the minor league system as far as getting outfielders.”
Listen to the full interview below.