SF Giants pitching prospects week in review (7/4-7/10)

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: High-A

Notable Performers

Austin Reich: 1 G, 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 0.00 ERA
Ryan Walker: 2 G, 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA
Seth Corry: 1 G, 1 GS, 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 HBP, 3 BB, 7 K, 3.60 ERA
Kai-Wei Teng: 1 G, 1 GS, 3 IP, 4 H, 5 R (5 ER), 1 HBP, 3 BB, 6 K, 15.00 ERA

Much of the games for the Emeralds this week have been blowouts, so inflated ERA are to be expected. However, two pitchers out of the bullpen have been excellent this week. First is Austin Reich. The 24-year old right-hander was called up to Eugene on July 6th and pitched a flawless outing the day after. An undrafted free agent signee a couple of years ago, Reich has a very lively fastball that can reach up to 96 MPH and has a decent changeup to pair it while having a good tempo on the mound. He is looking to be quite a find.

Ryan Walker has been one of the most dominant relievers in the Emeralds squad all season long and has continued his rampage this week. The 25-year old right-hander has an ERA of 2.28 but the best part is that his FIP is only 2.63 thanks to his 42:5 strikeout to walk ratio in 27.2 innings pitched. The side-winder is an uncomfortable at-bat with his extreme crossfire action and he pounds the strike zone with a low to mid-90s fastball and a sweeping slider. It would be a shame if Walker does not see time at the Double-A level at some point soon.

On the rotation’s side of things, Seth Corry pitched one of his best outings this year and certainly the most efficient, having thrown just under 11 pitches an inning. He threw 2/3 of his pitches for strikes but two hit batters still loom large as he’s hit 13 batters this season. He’s failed to generate double-digit whiffs in his last six starts, but it’s more because hitters are not swinging at his pitches more than the quality of his stuff. Let’s see if he can hone in his stuff in the second half of the season.

I am starting to worry about the recent form of Kai-Wei Teng. He’s given up five home runs in his last three starts that resulted in a 12.54 ERA. He’s also lost the feel for his often reliable slider in his last two starts and has failed to record double-digit whiffs in his last three. He got suspended for using foreign substances and it could be that the effects are being felt only now. The big right-hander is facing the toughest stretch of this season and he is becoming one of the most volatile pitching prospects in the system.