SF Giants prospects position preview chat: Relief pitchers

SF Giants prospects position preview chat: Relievers (Part 2)

W: I was strict in terms of grading relievers (I do not really put anything higher than 40 FV unless it’s a really elite reliever that should be starting in a rotation instead), but you have them that low it’s interesting.

I think we are pretty much in the same tier as well, although I do have some names to bring up after those three that are in that next tier for me. R.J. Dabovich and Carson Ragsdale are kind of eerily similar in terms of stuff and circumstances. Both are fourth-round picks from last year with a pick separating the two and their M.O. on the mound. Both have a mid to high-90s fastball at the top of the zone paired with a hammer curveball that the Giants love for their relievers it seems like.

M: Ragsdale is in that group of starters, like Trevor McDonald and Sam Long, who it seems like a lot of scouts project them to the bullpen, but it looks like the Giants are giving them a chance to prove they can start, something I’m a fan of. Dabovich is definitely the biggest wild-card to me just because we don’t have a long track record of great control (9 walks in 11.2 innings pitched at Arizona State last season), but he could easily rank alongside Castro, Santos, and Doval given the caliber of stuff he’s shown.

An even lesser-known prospect, Cole Waites, has premium velocity and a good-looking breaking ball of his own too. Who are some of your favorite sleeper relievers in the system?

W: I think it’s a good thing that Ragsdale will be in the rotation early on for him to rack up the innings but that high release point and north-south approach suits him well to become a strong bullpen guy in a couple of years. I agree that Dabovich does not really have the track record, but he’s surely getting good reps and I think he’s a poor man’s Blake Rivera in terms of stuff and deception with their high release point.

It was really interesting though that the Giants envision Long as a starter. I think he could definitely help the MLB squad right now as a 25-year-old with a dazzling fastball-curveball combination from the left side. The changeups that he threw in Spring Training were firm and not exactly big-league caliber at the moment, and that’s why I think it’s a questionable decision for him to be a starter.

Waites has big-league potential because of the improvements he’s made during the quarantine. There are some sleepers in the system but I am going to bring up names that are rather unknown at the moment. Frank Rubio and Ryan Walker might not be your household names in terms of relief prospects but both have deception in their deliveries with sidearm release points, especially Walker with his funky, whirlwind-like mechanics. The stuff is not really mind-blowing but there’s a chance for Walker to be a big leaguer that relies heavily on deception, with Rubio a good step behind.

On the left side, I think there’s a chance that Luis Amaya is going to break out this year. In the organization that’s really light on lefty relief prospects, Amaya’s got the best stuff and the best potential. It’s low-90s from the left side with both sink and cut that can run up to 95 MPH, a solid slider, and a changeup that flashes above-average. He is a strike-thrower and with the current three-batter rule, Amaya’s well-rounded repertoire and control just scream future big leaguer to me. He’s similar to current SF Giants reliever Wandy Peralta.

SF Giants prospects position preview chat: Relievers (Part 3)

M: I’ve been high on Sam Wolff and Cyr for a long time and expected them to get a shot this season before Santos and Castro emerged as high-leverage options. They are obviously on the older side, but I think a ton of really good relievers who don’t necessarily have elite-type stuff get buried in the upper minors even though they’re effective because teams don’t believe the numbers (kind of like what happened with Tyler Rogers).

W: It’s really sad to see them not get their big league debuts yet, especially for Wolff who is already 30 years old. I was high on both Wolff and Cyr as well, and Patrick Ruotolo too. I really hope there’s a shot that Wolff and Cyr will make their big league debuts this season given how much Kapler has used the bullpen already this season.

M: Lower in the system, Solomon Bates seemed to suffer from a lot of bad batted-ball luck in 2019, and quietly struck out 60 batters and walked just 10 across 43.1 innings between AZL, Class-A, and High-A. His stuff has always looked quite pedestrian (not big velocity or a clear putaway pitch), but it’s hard to deny those results. Tyler Schimpf and Ben Madison were another pair of relievers from the 2018 draft class that racked up punchouts in 2019 but have shown some issues with walks. Israel Cruz, acquired from the Rangers alongside Wolff in the Matt Moore trade, seemed to make some progress as a reliever in 2019, he’d always been a two-pitch player from most reports, so I’m curious to see if he has some momentum this year.

W: It’s definitely hard to deny the results from Bates, who I think can take the next step out of the bullpen in 2021. I think he hides the ball well in his body that can result in strikeouts even with fringy stuff and control. There are a lot of guys in the system aside from Schimpf and Madison who have good to great strikeout numbers but suffer from the high walk rates. Guys like Nick Morreale, Matt Seelinger, Raffi Vizcaino, Jose Marte, Prelander Berroa, etc. are all in the same boat. Hopefully, there will be a couple who will break out of the pack and post a strong walk rate in 2021. If I’m betting my money on one, I think it’s Seelinger.

M: I think this is a pretty good rundown of the lower-caliber arms. Back to the top, if you had to put your money on one pitcher in the organization becoming an All-Star closer, who would it be?

W: I do agree it’s a pretty good rundown and there are still a lot of relievers that we forgot to talk about! I’m giving a nod to Aaron Phillips, Jesus Tona, and Kanoa Pagan!

If I’m going to put my money on who has the best shot of becoming an All-Star closer for the Giants, I’m going all-in on Castro. I mean Doval and Santos have great stuff, but just like a starting pitcher, you have to have consistent control night in and night out and that’s what Castro has that Doval and Santos are a good step behind.

M: That’s a great call. Heck! I forgot to mention Joey Marciano who is coming back to minor-league camp with a new and improved offspeed pitch alongside new mid-90s velocity. He had some lower-minors success as a starter and he’s someone else fans should know about.

I normally lean towards command with starters, but I thought Santos had a good shot to stick in the rotation, so it’s hard for me to not see him as a premium reliever. If I’m picking one reliever to be my closer in five years, it’s Santos. Granted, there could be a case for Blake Rivera, but he is still being developed as a starter for now.

W: I was psyched to see him post those juicy videos on Twitter during the quarantine. Mid-90s from the left side is certainly a big deal for teams and he will hopefully surprise us with a strong 2021 season.

M: Alright, once again, great talk. I can’t wait to wrap these previews up next weekend talking about the quietly improving starting pitching depth.

W: Yep. It’s a great talk and I had a lot of fun. I can’t wait for next week!

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 outfielders.