SF Giants hitting prospects week in review (7/3-7/9)

Make sure to revisit our weekly SF Giants prospect rundowns to keep up with each of their minor-league affiliates. If you do not feel well acclimated to the prospects throughout the farm system, you might want to revisit our prospect week articles that detailed the system from the top prospects to lower-level fringes. If you’re just interested in the biggest names, then the preseason SF Giants top 31 prospects list is the one-stop-shop for you.

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: Triple-A

Notable Performers

Joe McCarthy: 4 G, 18 AB, .389 AVG, 1.206 OPS, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K
Bryce Johnson: 5 G, 22 AB, .227 AVG, .638 AVG, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K, 4 SB

It’s safe to say that Joe McCarthy is having his best year as a professional this year while playing for the River Cats. His batting average and slugging are both career highs, and the left-hander has hit double-digit home runs this season. Interestingly, McCarthy has reverse splits this season (.310 vs LHP, .291 vs RHP). Nonetheless, McCarthy more than deserves a call-up back to the big leagues in the second half of the season.

After a really strong first five weeks of the season where he’s batted .325 and a .868 OPS in his first 28 games, Bryce Johnson has struggled ever since, batting .209 and an OPS of only .587 in his last 23 games. The 25-year old is still an adept base stealer, with a 15:1 SB to CS ratio, but has clearly scuffled recently and a demotion to Richmond could potentially be in the cards, especially if the Giants end up promoting Heliot Ramos.

Also, Will Toffey played his first game as a Giants prospect this week. The lefty bat who was acquired from the Mets for Anthony Banda struggled mightily as a Met this year, batting .178 and a career-high 37.8% strikeout rate. However, he’s a solid defender at the hot corner with a plus arm and has also flashed power this year, with six home runs and a career-best .208 ISO. Let’s see if the Giants coaches can help him turn around his batting average and become a viable asset for the big league club.

As a closing note this week for the River Cats side, Joey Bart has finally been called back up to the big leagues after a Buster Posey injury. He’s played well against Triple-A pitching this year, but I expect him to go back to Sacramento once Posey heals up. Do not discount a potential call-back later in the season, however.

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: Double-A

Notable Performers

Heliot Ramos: 5 G, 21 AB, .381 AVG, 1.286 OPS, 2 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 SB
David Villar: 5 G, 19 AB, .368 AVG, .874 OPS, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 6 K
Diego Rincones: 4 G, 13 AB, .154 AVG, .368 OPS, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K
Will Wilson: 4 G, 14 AB, .143 AVG, .343 OPS, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 6 K

Heliot Ramos clearly forgot what happened in June and had a scorching hot week before heading to Colorado to play in the Futures Game. He’s clearly a hitter that’s too good to not bounce back after an abysmal month. I look forward to see Ramos to pick up right where he left off after the Futures Game and have a strong second half of the season for the Flying Squirrels.

https://twitter.com/GoSquirrels/status/1413625131893727242

One of the solid surprises this year for the Flying Squirrels has been third baseman David Villar. It seemed like Villar has gotten better as he gets more experience against Double-A pitching as his batting average has consistently improved over the season. His 11 home runs this season also lead the team and his defense at the hot corner has consistently been 50-grade quality. With the way he’s playing this season, there’s a possibility of a Triple-A call-up near the end of the season.

This week also has seen the addition of Will Wilson and Diego Rincones to the squad after their strong play as Emeralds. Their additions greatly improve the talent level of the Double-A roster and while they are off to a rocky start, expect the duo to quickly find their footing and make an impact on both sides of the ball in the second half of the season.

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: High-A

Notable Performers

Brett Auerbach: 5 G, 16 AB, .375 AVG, 1.099 OPS, 2 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 3 SB
Sean Roby: 5 G, 21 AB, .238 AVG, .857 OPS, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 10 K
Armani Smith: 5 G, 18 AB, .167 AVG, .508 OPS, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K, 1 SB

The biggest performer for the Emeralds this week offensively is Brett Auerbach, highlighted by his three-hit, six-RBI performance on July 6th against the AquaSox. The super-utility man for the Emeralds is batting .280 with a .813 OPS and 7 RBIs. He’s played all over the field (catcher, third base, second base, center field) with good defensive instincts and he makes plenty of solid contact with plus speed. Look past his power and he has at least four average tools that make him a very valuable asset in any organization.

Even though Sean Roby is only hitting .197 for the year, he’s still posted a wRC+ of 97 that’s primarily fueled by his ability to hit for power. He right-hander flashes plus raw power with exit velocities over 110 MPH at times and an ISO of .190 but has struggled to find his groove this year primarily fueled by his over 30% strikeout rate. The 23-year old can still be a solid contributor in the second half of the season but will likely be a three-true-outcomes type moving forward.

After having a scorching hot June for the Emeralds, it is always bound for Armani Smith to hit a form of regression. July has not been very kind for the big outfielder, hitting .179 and just one home run. The worrying thing is the spike in strikeouts, with 13 in just eight games compared to 17 in 19 games in June. There’s big bounce-back potential however as one of the breakout prospects in the organization this year.

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: ACL

Notable Performers

Aeverson Arteaga: 5 G, 18 AB, .444 AVG, 1.746 OPS, 2 2B, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K
Adrian Sugastey: 5 G, 15 AB, .286 AVG, .686 OPS, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K
Anthony Rodriguez: 5 G, 16 AB, .313 AVG, .921 OPS, 3 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K
Javeyan Williams: 5 G, 11 AB, .455 AVG, 1.443 OPS, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K, 1 SB

The biggest talk in the Arizona backfields this week is the stellar early play of Aeverson Arteaga. He leads the ACL in home runs, is second in doubles, hits, and third in SLG and OPS. The top signee by the organization in the 2019 IFA cycle in terms of signing bonus gained a good amount of muscle in frame based on recent looks, and that resulted in a cleaner looking swing and in-game power. He looked to have lost a step but his arm strength is at least above-average. The tendency to pull the ball and the near 30% strikeout rate are potential causes for concerns but the 18-year old has been impressive at the start of the season nonetheless.

Another big signee who is off to a good start is Adrian Sugastey. The right-handed catcher while not as impressive as Arteaga is batting .333 after a week and a half of action but has yet to hit his first professional home run. He’s done a good job in terms of controlling the strike zone with healthy walk and strikeout rates. Sugastey has plus power and him hitting his first professional long ball is always a question of when not if.

The third 2019 IFA signee who is off to a decent start is Anthony Rodriguez. A shortstop when he was an amateur, Rodriguez moved to the hot corner as Arteaga is manning the premium position. He’s hitting for extra bases with four doubles after a week and a half of action but like Arteaga, his 35% strikeout rate is a potential cause for concern. He’s been a solid hitter based on past looks so there’s a good chance that it goes down as the season rolls on.

On the Giants Black squad, Javeyan Williams stood out with his hot week in the backfields where his eye at the plate stood out. The 2019 22nd round draft pick was originally signed to Eugene this season but was sent to the backfields when the outfield got crowded. The 24-year old has certainly shown that he is ready to go back to full-season ball, most likely in San Jose.

Stay tuned every weekend for a full rundown of the SF Giants hitting prospects on Saturday and pitching prospects on Sunday.