As recently as 2019, the Giants had one of the least developed farm systems in baseball. The Athletic’s Keith Law, then with ESPN, ranked San Francisco’s system No. 26 of 30 after bottoming out the year before.
But through the amateur draft and international signings, the Giants have rebuilt their farm. Law now pegs the Giants as the ninth most promising group of prospects.
Shortstop Marco Luciano, outfielder Luis Matos and pitcher Kyle Harrison highlight an exciting group of Future Giants. That trio, plus Jairo Pomares and several other promising talents are beginning the year in Eugene.
As for when certain prospects could make their debut, that will be up to their production.
“The messages we want to send are: go out, kick ass, dominate your level,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said in Scottsdale. “The door’s always open for players like that.”
This is more of a casual guide than a prospect rankings list. Those can be found elsewhere. This is a collection of prospects that, for one reason or another, should be on fans’ radars this season.
One week into the Triple-A season, here are musings on 20 prospects you’re going to want to comb through box scores for. This list is compiled through observations, research, and impressions from sources in and around the Giants organization familiar with the farm.
Marco Luciano, 20, Shortstop (High-A Eugene)
Luciano was overmatched as a 19-year-old in High-A last year, but he’s still ahead of schedule and checking every box. This spring, the Giants’ top prospect has shown that he could be ready to make the jump to Double-A this year.
The game is slowing down for him. That’ll only continue to happen with more reps — and against tougher competition.
The question for Luciano going forward will be if he matures out of the shortstop position. He’s still growing at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds. The teenager has plenty of work to do before that question really becomes relevant; regardless of what infield position he ends up at, Luciano projects as a difference-making hitter.
Heliot Ramos, 22, Outfielder (Triple-A Sacramento/MLB)
In the River Cats’ opener, Ramos sent a “it’s my time” message to the front office with an opposite field blast in his first plate appearance. The display of power came on a 3-0 pitch.
Then in his MLB debut, Ramos went 2-for-3 with a run and electrified Oracle Park. He wants to stick with the Giants long-term, and if he continues to produce he could force the front office into a tough decision or two.
Sean Hjelle, 24, Starting Pitcher (Triple-A Sacramento)
The 6-foot-11 starter would be the tallest active Warrior as they enter the NBA playoffs.
Hjelle spent the winter focusing on arching his back and flying open in his delivery. The mechanical tweak should lead to more repeatable, consistent strike throwing and less strain on his back — a nagging issue for him.
His goal for this season is to debut. If he can find the strike zone consistently, that goal will become reality sooner than later.
Patrick Bailey, 22, Catcher (High-A Eugene)
One major site has Bailey rated as a better prospect than Joey Bart.
San Francisco’s first round pick from 2020 seems like an 80-grade hang, too — always a plus.
Seth Corry, 23, Starting Pitcher (High-A Eugene)
Command issues made Corry’s Eugene stint in 2021 one to forget (he walked 8.3 batters per nine) but Corry’s stuff still makes him a promising left-handed starter. Minor arm issues nagged him last year, but he’s healthy heading into 2022. The Giants want every prospect to defeat their level, so Corry’s back at Eugene but could make a jump to Richmond soon.
Casey Schmitt, 23, Third Base (High-A Eugene)
Schmitt impressed coaches this spring with the leather at the hot corner. Will the power come around for the three-year San Diego State product?
Norwith Gudino, 26, Starting Pitcher (Triple-A Sacramento)
A prospect some Giants officials think might be unappreciated within the organization, Gudino will get the high-level minor league experience every pitcher needs this year. He dominated Richmond last year before struggling in hitter-friendly Triple-A ball, but will get another shot to prove his worth in 2022.
Brett Auerbach, 23, UTIL, (Double-A Richmond)
The most versatile prospect in the system stayed with the big league club until the last day of spring camp, although that was more of a formality than anything. He still impressed in Arizona, showing impressive power at the plate to go along with his uncanny positional flexibility. Auerbach can play every position except pitcher; will he stick in one area as he advances through the minors or will his versatility be his calling card?
Manuel Mercedes, 19, Pitcher (Low-A San Jose)
The 19-year-old righty’s whipping motion can produce fastballs up to 100 mph. Mercedes has all the physical tools to make batters miss, but like any teenager, he’s raw.
He needs to add a secondary pitch, but with time he could become one of the more intriguing arms in the farm.
Luis Matos, 20, Outfield, (High-A Eugene)
Even other players within the system, when asked, point to Marco Luciano and Matos as the guys they’re most excited to see this year. The talent’s that obvious.
He’s a natural hitter with a good feel for the zone and real power already. He also projects to be excellent on the base paths. If Matos reaches his potential, the 2018 international class of him, Luciano and Jairo Pomares could go down in Giants history.
Aeverson Arteaga, 19, Shortstop (Low-A San Jose)
The Giants gave Arteaga a $1 million signing bonus when they signed him in 2019 out of Venezuela.
He still has several years of development to come, but could Arteaga, not Luciano, be Brandon Crawford’s eventual successor?
Hunter Bishop, 23, Outfield (High-A Eugene)
The 10th overall pick in 2019, like so many prospects, has had his development disrupted by the canceled 2020 season. A shoulder strain limited him to 16 games in 2021.
Bishop’s twitchy swing looks violent, and he has the left-handed pop that will play in any park eventually. Reps are by far the biggest thing he needs.
Adrian Sugastey, 19, Catcher (Low-A San Jose)
A polished catcher in a farm suddenly loaded with catching prospects, Sugastey has natural bat-to-ball skills. He could become a favorite within the organization with a big year in San Jose.
Oh, and he can do this.
Kyle Harrison, 20, Starting Pitcher (High-A Eugene)
The Giants’ top pitching prospect has the potential to be special on the mound. In his first year as a pro, he won the Low-A West Pitcher of the Year award by leading the league in ERA and strikeouts.
Harrison knows he has to hone his control a bit more. He’s still growing into his body, so some issues are expected. But repeating his low arm slot could help him have another big season.
Mason Black, 22, Starting Pitcher (Low-A San Jose)
The team insists to not read anything into their emphasis on sinker-slider pitchers, but Black is just another arm with those offerings. The run on his two-seamer is super impressive, and he threw four one-hit, seven-strikeout innings in his season debut. The third-round pick out of Lehigh is just getting started.
Jason Krizan, 32, Second Base (Triple-A Sacramento)
The Giants’ Crash Davis is knocking on the door. Coaches and teammates raved about his performance, both as a sure-handed second baseman and a positive presence in the clubhouse, in Scottsdale. With a thin depth chart in the middle infield, could this be the year Krizan makes his big league debut after 11 seasons in the minors?
Diego Rincones, 22, Outfield (Double-A Richmond)
Rincones looks like a big leaguer. The Venezuela native has hit wherever and in whatever league he’s played in. He graduated from Euguene in 25 games by slashing .300/.385/.533, then put up almost identical batting numbers in Richmond with twice the sample size. The hit tool is real.
Will Bednar, 21, Starting Pitcher (High-A Eugene)
San Francisco’s first round pick from last year has the build and the stuff to climb through the minors rapidly. After his immense workload in college, where he led Mississippi State to its first national title, the Giants slow-played his first minor league stint. Now rested, the righty will get a shot to turn heads with a plus-fastball and three secondaries.
Luis Gonzalez, 26, Outfield (Triple-A Sacramento)
Gonzalez, who’s played nine games in the big leagues with the White Sox already, hit .476 in nine spring games with San Francisco then followed that up by starting the year with the River Cats 6-for-19 with six walks.
If San Francisco’s outfield depth gets depleted any more, expect Gonzalez to be one of the first to receive a call.
Cole Waites, 23, Reliever (High-A Eugene)
A reliever with a 100 mph fastball and a pretty good slider is the type of player that could skip a couple levels and reach the majors quicker than expected. Commanding his sweeper consistently in Eugene is Step 1.