SF Giants pitching prospects week in review (6/13-6/19)

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: High-A

Notable Performers
Kai-Wei Teng: 1 G, 1 GS, 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 10 K, 3.60 ERA
Conner Nurse: 1 G, 1 GS, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, 1.80 ERA
Ryan Walker: 2 G, 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA
Chris Wright: 2 G, 1 SV, 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA
Jasier Herrera: 2 G, 5 IP, 7 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 5 K, 1.80 ERA

After getting suspended for 10 games for the use of foreign substances, Kai-Wei Teng returned to the mound for the Emeralds and proved that sticky substance or not, he’s going to dominate, striking out 10 Hops hitters across five innings of work. Even though his ERA for the season is 4.74, I think Teng is pitching better than ever because of his improved stuff. His fastball is now sitting in the mid-90s, and his slider took a big jump and has become a real strikeout weapon for him. His strikeout rate this season is a career-best 38% but with the expense of his control with a 15% walk rate. I am excited for what’s in store for Teng as he continues to harness his newfound stuff as the season goes on.

21-year old Conner Nurse pitched his most effective outing in an Emeralds uniform, pitching five innings of one-run ball. Nurse has struggled this season with a 5.23 ERA, but his previous outing could be the start of better things for the right-hander as the season rolls along.

To the relief corps, both Ryan Walker and Chris Wright flashed their stuff with their strong outings this week. Walker, the 25-year old righty sidewinder is more than deserving of a mid-season Double-A call-up, as he is posting his highest strikeout rate (37.8%) and second-lowest walk rate (4.9%) of his career this season. On the other hand, the lefty Wright should follow suit as he continues his breakout season as the best lefty relief prospect in the farm system.

To cap off the Emeralds this week, Jasier Herrera turned in a strong week acting as the innings-eater out of the pen for the squad. Herrera got called up to Sacramento in the final week of May but was sent back right away as the organization shuffled its minor league rosters. He fills the zone with his fastball and slider but he is tipping his pitches as he comes set: his glove wiggles slightly when throwing a fastball and does not when throwing his breaking ball. It hasn’t caused major problems for him yet, but could as he faces better competition.