1 SF Giants corner infield prospect who has opened some eyes in camp

Every year, there is an unheralded prospect who takes advantage of limited playing time to make a good impression. For the SF Giants this year, it is corner infield prospect Sabin Ceballos.

1 SF Giants corner infield prospect who has opened some eyes in camp

Ceballos is not officially in camp as a non-roster invitee. However, teams pull from minor league camp all the time when the need arises, especially when there is a split-squad game.

This does not lead to a lot of opportunities, but you get a chance to play in front of the major league coaching staff. Ceballos has appeared in just eight games this spring. He has tallied four hits, including a home run, with three RBI and three walks in eight at-bats.

It is hard to be much more productive than that. Fortunately, his home run was recorded, and it was a big blast.

The Giants hope that he carries this positive momentum into the regular season. The 22-year-old infielder is still relatively new to the organization. He was acquired in a trade that sent Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson to the Atlanta Braves last year.

Before the trade, Seballos posted a respectable .707 OPS with three home runs and 30 RBI in 377 plate appearances with the Rome Emperors of the South Atlantic League.

The right-handed bat attended the University of Oregon before being selected in the third round of the 2023 draft, and something about returning to familiar territory led him to go on a tear at the plate. That is not the reason, actually, but his performance was night and day after the trade.

Ceballos registered a .295/.364/.549 line (130 wRC+) with seven home runs and 30 RBI in 140 plate appearances following the deal. This included a 10.4 percent walk rate, 23.9 percent strikeout rate, and .222 ISO. Aside from Bryce Eldridge, Ceballos was one of the top hitters in the organization

It is hard to pinpoint what has gone right for him, but there was a favorable shift in his fly ball and pull rates upon joining the Giants. Pulling the ball in the air is the best batted-ball outcome in baseball, and he was doing that with more regularity.

Now, the minor league season is getting close. Ceballos should begin the season in Double-A, and that tends to be a pretty good litmus test for prospects. If he continues to perform at a high level, he will really become a prospect to follow.