Down on the Farm (2023)

[tzill]

Mason Black had allowed 1(!) earned run with 38 strikeouts against 6 walks over his last 6 starts. The promotion is well-deserved.

 

[LHG]

Mason Black had allowed 1(!) earned run with 38 strikeouts against 6 walks over his last 6 starts. The promotion is well-deserved.

View attachment 334192

I do like how, in general, the org seems good about promoting guys who perform well.

 

[calsnowskier]

Mason Black Amateur, College & Minor Leagues Statistics | Baseball-Reference.com

Mason Black Amateur, College & Minor Leagues Statistics including batting, fielding, prospect rankings and more on Baseball-Reference.com

www.baseball-reference.com

 

[tzill]

John Michael Bertrand was not someone I expected to reach AA so quickly, but the results are certainly worthy of it: 2.92 ERA, 7.5 K/9, 3.42 SO/W ratio, 59.1% ground ball rate in 11 starts with Eugene.

 

[tzill]

This has got to be the most exciting season I can remember for prospects. So many are moving quickly.

 

[calsnowskier]

This has got to be the most exciting season I can remember for prospects. So many are moving quickly.

The farm has been handled to perfection this year. Players were placed aggressively, but still in positions to succeed. And the org has graduated multiple players with either immediate success or with legit signs of future success.

Bailey, so far, is the most successful graduate we have had since Duffy(??).
Schmitt is struggling, but he is showing the tools that say he will likely be able to handle the Show for a long while.
Winn looks like a legit rotation piece.
Sabol, while not technically a graduate of our system, was identified and acquired AS a graduate, and looks to be a very valuable asset moving forward.
Wisely, much like Sabol, is not technically a graduate from our system, but also looks to be a valuable asset moving forward.
Walker looks like he could be a core member of the bully for years to come.

 

[tzill]

 

[tzill]

 

[tzill]

Minor League Wrap Up:

ACL
Guillermo Williamson: 4-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI
Javier Francisco: 2-2, HR, 2 RBI, BB

A-
Diego Velasquez: 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI
Justin Bench: 4-4, BB
Anthony Rodriguez: 2-4, 2 RBI, BB

A+
Carter Howell: 2-5,
Jared Dupere: 2-5, 2B
Adrian Sugastey: 2-4, 2B

AA

Wade Meckler: 2-5, RBI
Marco Luciano: 2-4, BB
Brandon Martorano: 3-3, BB
Victor Bericoto: 1-5, HR, 2 RBI
Evan Gates: 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO

AAA

Mason Black: 5 IP, 0 ER, 4 BB, 8 SO

Black FB averaged 94.6 MPH tonight and he recorded 10 swinging strikes with the slider. Black's 4 walks were a command issue rather than a control issue imo. When he missed, it was typically below the zone, which is not a bad place from a location standpoint.

 

[LHG]

Minor League Wrap Up:

ACL
Guillermo Williamson: 4-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI
Javier Francisco: 2-2, HR, 2 RBI, BB

A-
Diego Velasquez: 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI
Justin Bench: 4-4, BB
Anthony Rodriguez: 2-4, 2 RBI, BB

A+
Carter Howell: 2-5,
Jared Dupere: 2-5, 2B
Adrian Sugastey: 2-4, 2B

AA

Wade Meckler: 2-5, RBI
Marco Luciano: 2-4, BB
Brandon Martorano: 3-3, BB
Victor Bericoto: 1-5, HR, 2 RBI
Evan Gates: 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO

AAA

Mason Black: 5 IP, 0 ER, 4 BB, 8 SO

Black FB averaged 94.6 MPH tonight and he recorded 10 swinging strikes with the slider. Black's 4 walks were a command issue rather than a control issue imo. When he missed, it was typically below the zone, which is not a bad place from a location standpoint.

Nice to see Bench has been promoted as well. He started the year off nicely in rookie ball (one of the only 2022 draft picks who didn't start the season with San Jose).

Did you get to watch Black's game in person or via the interwebs?

 

[tzill]

Nice to see Bench has been promoted as well. He started the year off nicely in rookie ball (one of the only 2022 draft picks who didn't start the season with San Jose).

Did you get to watch Black's game in person or via the interwebs?

Videos and a report from a friend. He's coming...

 

[tzill]

I might have missed this previously, but Giants lefty Carson Whisenhunt has cracked the top-100 prospect list, sitting at No. 95 according to MLB Pipeline.

 

[LHG]

A little update on 2022 draftees. Many started the year in San Jose. Most have moved up to Eugene. Here is where they are all at right now:

Richmond: Whisenhunt (2), Meckler (8), Bertrand (10)
Eugene: Crawford (1), Kempner (3), Birdsong (6), Choate (9), Gavello (13), Wynja (ndfa), Higgins (ndfa), Howell (ndfa)
San Jose: Morgen (7), Vogel (12), O'Tremba (15), Kachel (16), Bench (17)
ACL: Diaz (14)
Injured: Miles (4), Simon (5), Bower (11), Hare (ndfa) (All officially listed on the ILs for San Jose)

As a reminder, the Giants did not sign their 18th through 20th round picks last year.

 

[tzill]

Lockhard's column today:

A hamstring injury has paused the season of Kyle Harrison, the Giants’ top pitching prospect, but one of their other top prospects, right-hander Mason Black, is now a step away from the big leagues after jumping from Double A to Triple A. Black, a 2021 third-round pick, had a 3.57 ERA and an 83/21 K/BB in 63 innings for Double-A Richmond. He threw five scoreless innings in his Pacific Coast League debut. In 180 career innings, the 23-year-old has 227 strikeouts.

The Giants also moved 2022 first-round pick Reggie Crawford from Low A to High A. The two-way player out of Connecticut didn’t make his regular-season debut with Low-A San Jose until May 23 as he completed his rehab from Tommy John surgery. Since then, he’s been on a careful pitch progression, making one- or two-inning starts every five days. The left-hander had a 4.09 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 11 innings in San Jose before allowing a run in one inning in his High-A Eugene debut. Crawford has also DH’d every fifth day, and he collected four hits in 13 at-bats (including a homer and two doubles) in San Jose.

The Giants also promoted 2022 10th-round pick John Michael Bertrand to Double A after the left-hander posted a 2.92 ERA in 49 1/3 innings for Eugene. It is already Bertrand’s second promotion of the season, which he began in Low-A San Jose.

 

[tzill]

 

[LHG]

View attachment 334587

He was off to a rough start this year so his overall numbers are slightly skewed to not show how he has rebounded but this promotion feels a bit early.

 

[calsnowskier]

View attachment 334587

He is still young, and hasn’t put up mind-blowing numbers, and we don’t have a glaring hole in SF that he looks to be able to fill.

I am in no rush to see him this year. Imho, give him a legit shot at making the opening day roster, but let him “relax” in the minors this year.

 

[LHG]

He is still young, and hasn’t put up mind-blowing numbers, and we don’t have a glaring hole in SF that he looks to be able to fill.

I am in no rush to see him this year. Imho, give him a legit shot at making the opening day roster, but let him “relax” in the minors this year.

And I'd like to see Fitzgerald and Wilson get regular playing time in AAA. Let them establish themselves as either legitimate trade pieces or possible options for the big league roster. Of course, this could be the Giants' idea of trying to see Luciano play well in AAA to rise his trade value back up.

 

[calsnowskier]

And I'd like to see Fitzgerald and Wilson get regular playing time in AAA. Let them establish themselves as either legitimate trade pieces or possible options for the big league roster. Of course, this could be the Giants' idea of trying to see Luciano play well in AAA to rise his trade value back up.

Interesting twist I hadn’t thought about.

 

[tzill]

Heliot Ramos is slashing .375/.392/.813 with 5 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, and 12 RBI in 48 PA since returning to Sacramento on July 3. There have been some subtle improvements to his batted ball profile (42.9% GB rate in AAA) and overall, he just looks like a more confident hitter.