SF Giants prospects position preview chat: Outfielders

SF Giants prospects position preview chat: Outfield Part 2

M: Ramos is clearly the safest bet, and I ranked Matos the highest of them all, but I do think it’s fair to say Matos is as risky as BIshop, just in different ways. We’ve yet to see Matos against high-caliber prospect competition and there are legitimate questions about his power ceiling. Bishop, of course, has the contact questions you mentioned. After them, what do you see as the next tier of outfield prospects?

W: I agree with you that Matos and Bishop both have similar risks because they have not really faced better competition. However, power tends to comes last in development, and with the kind of hit tool that Matos could potentially have, I think Matos is just a touch safer.

In terms of the next tier, Alexander Canario is definitely not far behind. I actually have Canario ranked above Bishop (#6 for Canario, #7 for Bishop) with similar FVs (45), characteristics, and risks. However, Canario suffered a severe shoulder injury last fall. He’s been hitting the cage at the moment and I heard that he will be ready to play around June. I did like what I heard about the progress that Canario made last year in instructs though, particularly with his plate discipline. He still gets beat by sequencing, but he seemed to be moving in the right direction.

After Canario, there’s a pretty big gap in terms of FVs but it’s also a mix of youth and experience. Specific prospects that I really like are Grant McCray, particularly his ability to put the barrel to the ball with advanced plate discipline while playing three sports in high school. His issues are strength-related and I can definitely see him tuck in pounds to become better.

Another one is P.J. Hilson, who is kind of an enigma in the prospect community. Dazzling tools but further away from his ceiling than anyone else in the org. However, there’s some light at the end of the tunnel in his offensive game when I talked to him last year about the strides that he’s made during the quarantine, particularly knowing specifically his issues in his batting stance. I think he’s going to break out this year.

The list can go on all day, Marc, but those two are the particular outfield prospects that I really like outside the top 4 at the moment.

SF Giants prospects position preview chat: Outfield Part 3

M: Yeah, entering last season, Matos was outside that top three and Canario was in it. The injury sent Canario down a tier in my book, but he’s looked legit when healthy. A couple of guys you didn’t mention who deserve some attention are Sandro Fabian and Jairo Pomares.

Pomares has been overshadowed by Matos and Marco Luciano from their IFA class, but he’s always looked like a quick mover with solid all-around tools and was very good in his pro debut. Fabian looked like the best OF prospect in the system a few years ago before a pair of injuries took him out of the field for a bit. I think he could also rebound nicely.

W: Pomares is actually ranked higher than both McCray and Hilson on my list. I agree with you that he’s a potential quick-mover with his hitting ability. He can make hard contact consistently and I believe there’s more power in Pomares’ swing than most. He’s just a very muscular guy. Yes, the defense is an issue for him. However, a bat that good can outweigh the bad.

I think Fabian is a solid bounce-back candidate as well, though his prospect luster is way lower than it was a couple of years ago. I think nothing’s really changed from Fabian, really. He’s still that solid hitter with good power and a strong defensive profile in the corner outfield. I would be delighted if he comes back to the Sandro that we knew of, a potential big-league outfielder.

M: Armani Smith is another prospect that really excites me. His profile is not too dissimilar from Bishop, with legit power and athleticism that didn’t consistently show up in games until their junior year of college. He showed big-time pop in his pro debut, and I’m curious if he can control his strikeouts.

The issue I see, and this is just nitpicking since this group is so deep, is that almost all of these prospects are bat over glove players. Outside of Hilson, who I see with a Kevin Kiermeier/Keon Broxton-type ceiling, are there players that you see as future elite defenders in the outfield? Obviously, fans will happily take the bats, but it does seem like other positions have more players with premium defensive upside.

W: Smith is another guy that I really like. He’s a big man with a swing that you typically see in a size much smaller than him, and he can hit balls up to 114 MPH based on last year’s instructs. I’m excited to follow his progress in 2021 as well.

It’s really a bat-over-glove bonanza in the lower portions of the depth chart, with guys like Franklin Labour, Victor Bericoto, Diego Rincones, etc. in the mix. However, I do see some potentially slick fielders like Bryce Johnson, who has the range and the instincts to become like a Juan Perez-type of player, Ismael Munguia who also has the range and is a pest in the batter’s box, and Tyler Forner, the UDFA signing last year who is also a rangy outfielder and a leadoff-type hitter.

However, the reality is that the Giants do prioritize offensive value when looking at hitters. I dig the Broxton comp on Hilson, though.

M: Definitely, that’s a good rundown. I have some different views on some of those prospects, but people can look back on some of my prospect’s week stuff for most of that. How do you like looking at relievers next week?

W: I got no problems with relievers next week. That’s probably where I would consider a big chunk of the pitching depth at the moment.

M: Awesome. Great talking as always. Talk to you soon.

W: No problem Marc! Take care as always!

Stay tuned to Around the Foghorn for plenty more SF Giants prospects coverage. Next week, Wrenzie and Marc will be back with another discussion, this time diving into the Giants relievers.