Fresno Fridays

In light of Melky Cabrera‘s recent dismissal from San Francisco and Major League Baseball, here’s a brief update from the Giants’ farm system, the teams that are struggling, and the prospects that are making waves in MiLB.

Fresno Grizzlies

"@shaneloux Sometimes I have to pinch myself that my family and I are blessed enough to live in SF and that I play baseball for the Giants. #GODISGOOD"

Current record: 65-60

Hot and cold: In a search for the Grizzlies’ offense, shortstop Nick Noonan and his .301 average are found 29th among PCL batters. Switching to team stats in the hope that the Grizzlies as a whole prove more impressive than their individual players, Fresno ranks dead last in stolen bases with 55, but second in triples with 47. Make of those cherry-picked stats what you will. Of the 47 triples, 22 have been accumulated by three Grizzlies: infielder and current Rockie Charlie Culberson (6) and outfielders Todd Linden (6) and Francisco Peguero (10).

Le Petit Prince: RHP Yusmeiro Petit ranks third in the PCL with a 3.35 ERA. He leads the Grizzlies’ pitching staff with 129 SO, 9 HR, and a 1.28 WHIP in 24 starts. In his last appearance, he took a beating from the Oklahoma City Redhawks with 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, and 4 SO in 6 IP.

Richmond Flying Squirrels

"@JMoE220 Just bought me my first lottery ticket. Power ball is at 253 million dollars. Why not!! And if I hit it I’m still playing baseball fact!"

Current record: 62-62

Even Steven: In August, Richmond is 7-7 with a 4-game win streak, a 3-hitter, and 2 one-hitters. Two of the three shutouts were handled by southpaw Michael Kickham, who leads the Squirrels with a 10-9 record, 122 strikeouts, and 41 earned runs in 132.1 IP.

Take offense: While the Squirrels hug tightly to third place in the Western division of the Eastern League, they place in the bottom three teams of all offensive categories, from batting average to extra base hits. On the plus side, marginal though it may be, they also rank third lowest in strikeouts with 835, a full 104 fewer than the first-place Trenton Thunder.

San Jose Giants

"@SHarrold19 Time to start thinking about Fantasy Football. Its almost draft time. #3rdpick #TJWhosyamomma #Championship"

Current record: 64-58

Extra credit: San Jose is hanging onto a one-game lead in the North division of the California League. They’ve gone 9-5 in August with 5 double-digit games; their most recent a 12-14 loss to the last-place Stockton Ports.

Panik attack: Among batters with at least 300 AB, Panik heads the SJ Giants with 134 hits, 25 doubles, and just 48 strikeouts. In 114 starts, he’s batting .289/.365/.405 with a 1.10 BB/K and .308 BABIP. Defensively, Panik has racked up 16 errors behind third baseman Adam Duvall (23), though rumor has it that Baseball America named him their best defensive shortstop in the California League.

For further news on the Giants’ farm system, check out Baseball America’s Best Minor League Tools (subscription required) and stop by FanSided’s own Seedlings to Stars.