San Francisco Giants 40-man Preview: Joan Gregorio

Joan Gregorio was ranked the San Francisco Giants’ 11th-best prospect prior to the 2017 season, and he was possibly going to get a shot in September to see what he had for a struggling Giants’ bullpen, but he missed the second half of last season after testing positive for Stanozolol.

Gregorio is 6 feet 7 inches tall, and he weighs 180 pounds. According to MLB.com prospect profile, his fastball velocity averages between 91 and 94 MPH, and he features a slider and a changeup.

The San Francisco Giants signed Gregorio out of the Dominican Republic to a minor league deal when he was 18 years old in 2010. He pitched well for the Giants in the Dominican Summer League that year with a 2.80 ERA, and he turned in another solid season in the Arizona League 2011 with a 2.32 ERA.

However, once Gregorio reached Low A ball in 2012, he struggled with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, posting an ERA of 5.54, but despite his struggles, he was promoted to A Augusta, and pitched somewhat better for the Green Jackets with a 4.00 ERA.

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Gregorio was promoted once again in 2014, but his start with the San Jose Giants was his worst one yet, as he was torched for a 6.75 ERA, but when he was sent back to Augusta in June, he finally found his form, as despite a 2-7 record, he posted a 3.57 ERA.

Gregorio was promoted to AA in 2015, and he pitched well for the Richmond Flying Squirrels, and after a successful brief stint in the Dominican Winter League, he returned to Richmond for just five games at the start of the 2016 season.

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Gregorio was then called up to AAA Sacramento in May. He struggled in Sacramento, but he saw his strikeout totals go up, as he struck out 122 batters over 107 1/3 innings. Despite struggling in the Dominican Winter League, he posted a 3.04 ERA in Sacramento in the first half of the 2017, and rumors swirled that he would get a potential shot to pitch for the Giants when rosters expanded in September.

However, he was suspended for the remainder of the season after he tested positive for Stanozolol.

Gregorio is now on the Giants’ 40-man roster heading into 2018, and he is once again back in the Dominican Winter League.

When he wraps up in the Dominican Republic, he will surely get a shot for a Giants’ bullpen that has still yet to find its form.

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His stuff could be effective in a middle-relief role, and with the Giants’ struggles in the bullpen, he has a decent shot at making the show this season.