San Francisco Giants: The Good and the Bad from the Arizona Fall League

3 of 3

PHILADELPHIA, PA – JUNE 28: A baseball with MLB logo is seen at Citizens Bank Park before a game between the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies on June 28, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

The San Francisco Giants sent a number of players to the Arizona Fall League this year. Many of the players they sent were sent there to gain extra repetitions.

Especially on the pitching side, the San Francisco Giants tend to send pitchers who missed substantial time during the regular season. This year, Sam Wolff, Melvin Adon, Garrett Williams, and Chase Johnson were selected to play for the Scottsdale Scorpions.

Adon, Wolff, and Johnson missed time this year due to injuries. Williams jumped back-and-forth between the rotation and the bullpen as he battled command issues.

On the hitting side, Heath Quinn, C.J. Hinojosa, and Matt Winn joined their pitcher counterparts from the Giants. Similarly, all three missed time this season due to injury.

Typically, the Arizona Fall League is hitting-friendly. Teams will not normally send all of their top pitching prospects. They may send one or two legitimate prospects, but teams are reluctant to send anyone who had a full workload during the regular season.

In regards to the San Francisco Giants, the performances from the pitching side and the hitting side are very black-and-white. A distinct line in the sand can be drawn between good and bad. The good came from the pitching side, and the bad came from the hitting side.

It certainly is encouraging to see our pitchers have such success in what is primarily a friendly hitting environment.

But on the flip side, it’s disappointing to see Quinn and others struggle to really hit at all in the Arizona Fall League.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – SEPTEMBER 29: Dereck Rodriguez #57 of the San Francisco Giants pitches in the top of the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at AT&T Park on September 29, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

The good has included the pitching performances from Adon, Wolff, Williams, and to a lesser extent, Johnson.

Adon’s power fastball has been on full display in the Arizona Fall League. In addition to this, his slider to developing and becoming a nice complement to his fastball.

Adon has punished Arizona Fall League hitters. He has posted a 1.54 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 11.2 innings. The command has improved as he has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen.

Sam Wolff, who was acquired in the Matt Moore trade with the Rangers last offseason, struggled mightily in his first season in the Giants organization. The Arizona Fall League has been a little kinder.

Wolff’s repertoire includes a quality fastball as well as a slider and curveball. His biggest issue is staying on the field. He has sustained a couple significant injuries throughout his professional career. As a result, he is a little on the older side at 27 years old.

Wolff has not given up a run in nine innings. This includes 12 strikeouts, and he has only allowed two runners to reach base. The Arizona Fall League typically is a hitter’s league, but Wolff disagrees with that notion. Similar to Adon, Wolff is not too far away from making it on to the Giants roster.

Williams, hopefully, has turned a corner in his development. After a forgetful 2018 season with Richmond, Williams is looking to finish the year on a higher note.

Williams’ repertoire includes a quality fastball and an effective slider and curveball. He has good stuff. However, his command continues to limit the effectiveness of his offerings.

So far in the AFL, Williams has posted a 1.35 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 20 innings of work. He has, however, given up seven free passes. But, this is a substantial improvement from his season in Richmond where he averaged 6.7 BB/9.

Williams will likely repeat Double-A in 2019. But, he could earn a quick promotion to Sacramento if his AFL performance carries over.

Lastly, Chase Johnson continues his rebound from Tommy John Surgery. Johnson is on the 40-man roster. So, the expectation is we may see him in a San Francisco Giants uniform soon.

In the AFL, Johnson has posted a 3.86 ERA. However, his peripherals have been far less encouraging. He has given up only three hits including a home run, but he has issued five walks in seven innings of work.

As good as the pitching side has been for the San Francisco Giants prospects, the opposite can be said for their hitting prospects. Regardless, Adon, Wolff, Williams, and Johnson all have intriguing tools, and all four seem likely to make their major league debut at some point.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – JUNE 20: Alen Hanson #19 of the San Francisco Giants fouls a pitch off the top of his knee against the Miami Marlins in the bottom of the first inning at AT&T Park on June 20, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

More from Around the Foghorn

There really is not much to write about the hitters. Each hitter’s performance has been underwhelming. It seems the Scottsdale Scorpions coaching staff is having a hard time getting Giants prospects at-bats.

It’s possible the long layoff between the end of the minor league season and the start of the AFL season has affected each hitter’s timing. Or, fatigue has played a role.

Matt Winn has been the best of the bunch — sort of. Winn is a catching prospect who is known for his work behind the plate.

In the AFL, Winn is batting a ghastly .122 as he only has five hits on the season. Three of the five hits have gone for extra bases including two home runs.

Winn is not known for his bat, but has shown moderate power in the past. He profiles as a backup catcher.

Similar to Winn, the AFL has not been kind to Heath Quinn. Quinn is batting four full basis points higher than Winn. While he is batting only .126, Quinn has worked four walks.

Quinn had an intriguing season in San Jose as he batted .300 with a .866 OPS, so this may be a blip on the radar. Quinn remains one of the more intriguing outfield prospects in the Giants system.

Lastly, C.J. Hinojosa is leading the pack with a .162 batting average.

Hinojosa profiles as a utility infielder. He is capable of handling the bat, and consistently makes contact. His power is extremely limited as demonstrated by his .099 ISO in Richmond.

Next. What should the San Francisco Giants do with Madison Bumgarner?

The AFL has not treated the San Francisco Giants position players well. However, these stats may not be indicative of each player’s future performance and ability. Winn, Hinojosa, and Quinn have all performed better in the minor leagues. It is fair to wonder whether fatigue or the long break have affected their performances.

Home / SF Giants News