SF Giants prospects rundown 5/9: Eugene scores 15 in blowout

SF Giants Prospects Rundown 5/9: Double-A

Richmond Flying Squirrels 4 at Hartford Yard Goats 2
Performance of the Game: Frankie Tostado (2-3, 3B, BB, K, R, 2 RBI)

Heliot Ramos continued his strong start at Double-A, dropping another 1-3 performance alongside a double, walk, and a strikeout. The lone well-established hitting prospect on the Flying Squirrels roster, Ramos remains the only obvious follow for prospect fans at the start of the season at Double-A. With that said, this roster could very easily have some future big-league contributors in bench or platoon roles.

Andres Angulo, a 23-year-old catcher who has moved through the Giants system because of an advanced feel behind the plate, raised his batting average to .421 with a 2-4 day that included a double. David Villar might not have a good enough bat to justify a starting MLB job at third base, given his inconsistent defense. Still, he could tap into his power consistently enough to be a bench corner bat. He showed off his power on Sunday, homering for the second time on the season.

Not to be taken lightly either, Frankie Tostado blasted 18 home runs in his first taste of full-season ball with Augusta in 2019. A 19th round selection in the 2017 draft out of Oxnard College, Tostado will have to hit his way to the bigs without elite athleticism. Still, the junior college selection has adjusted well after skipping High-A. While he’s yet to hit any homers on the season, he’s struck out a reasonable six times in 22 plate appearances and has hit the ball hard frequently.

On the mound, Tristan Beck made his second start of the year. He did a much better job limiting the Yard Goats overall offense than on Opening Day, allowing just two runs in five innings of work. However, Beck managed just two strikeouts against two walks and five hits. With minor-league teams playing week-long series to limit travel, it will be interesting to see if starters struggle to rack up strikeouts the second games they throw against a team in the same week.