SF Giants hitting prospects week in review (7/10-7/23)

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.

Because of the midseason MVPs post last week, this week’s weekly rundown will cover the past two weeks of action.

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: Triple-A

Notable Performers

Joe McCarthy: 11 G, 45 AB, .311 AVG, .865 OPS, 3 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 9 K, 1 SB
Braden Bishop: 10 G, 45 AB, .311 AVG, .878 OPS, 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K, 1 SB
Will Toffey: 5 G, 19 AB, .294 AVG, .686 OPS, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 9 K

The best hitting prospects over the past two weeks of play have been two 27-year old outfielders with completely different skillsets. Joe McCarthy is having a career year offensively with a career-best 12 home runs this season as well as a .533 SLG. The lefty masher is also posting a strikeout rate of 18.6%, his lowest since 2017. His batting average has kept improving as the season rolls along (.271 in May, .304 in June, .316 in July) and he more than deserves a second shot at the big leagues in San Francisco or elsewhere.

Braden Bishop has also been cruising ever since he was acquired by the Giants from Seattle earlier this year. He is posting career highs in his triple slash (.330/.400/.514) this season and has been knocking on the door all season long for his big league shot. With Jaylin Davis injured, Bishop is just another outfielder deserving of another opportunity.

A couple of weeks have given us enough time to see what Will Toffey is about. After an 0-4 with four strikeout debut for the River Cats, the 26-year old put up a nice 5-15 over his next three games before missing a week’s worth of action. Toffey has played on both corner infield spots as well as left field. After struggling mightily this season as a Met, Toffey could definitely use a breath of fresh air with the Giants and his performance until the end of the season is one worth tracking.

To cap off the River Cats side of things, I would like to write a few words to celebrate the career of Drew Robinson. He’s inspired so many lives (including mine) to live life to the fullest and understand gloomy days are a part of why our lives are worth living. I’m looking forward to seeing him inspire more lives as a mental health advocate for the Giants.

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: Double-A

Notable Performers

Simon Whiteman: 12 G, 42 AB, .286 AVG, .910 OPS, 5 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 10 BB, 14 K, 4 SB
Diego Rincones: 10 G, 32 AB, .281 AVG, .963 OPS, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 5 BB, 8 K
Will Wilson: 12 G, 51 AB, .235 AVG, .669 OPS, 3 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 17 K

One of the more pleasant surprises in the month of July for the Flying Squirrels has been the play of Simon Whiteman. The speedy second baseman is batting .279 in July with a .888 OPS, eight doubles, two home runs, and four stolen bases (he’s swiped 28 bags on the season). He is an excellent base stealer and based on this month, getting on base at a much better clip greatly increases the chance of him finding a long-term role. Kevin Cunningham drafted him with the final selection in our Giants Farm System Draft and if you want to know all the selections, give it a listen!

It always seems like a matter of when not if Diego Rincones‘ bat will heat up and he’s really turning it on over the past seven days with a .353 batting average and a 1.361 OPS with three home runs, three walks, and only three strikeouts. The Venezuelan has unique swing mechanics but an excellent feel for the barrel and has shown plenty of power as well. He might be a trade chip heading to the trade deadline but there is a good chance he will stay a Giants prospect when the calendar turns to August.

While Rincones has found his footing at the Double-A level, his former Eugene teammate Will Wilson has really struggled to get the bat going after three weeks of action. The biggest issue with Wilson as a Flying Squirrel has been the strikeouts, as he’s struck out in just under 32% of his trips to the plate through 16 games. The worse part of it is that his BABIP is at a healthy .317, signaling that there could even be a small amount of regression coming. The jump to Double-A is always particularly difficult for hitters, and there’s still plenty of time for him to adjust.

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: Low-A

Notable Performers

Marco Luciano: 10 G, 38 AB, .421 AVG, 1.158 OPS, 3 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 6 BB, 10 K, 1 SB
Jimmy Glowenke: 12 G, 48 AB, .354 AVG, 1.019 OPS, 7 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 6 BB, 8 K, 2 SB
Harrison Freed: 6 G, 24 AB, .375 AVG, 1.025 OPS, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K
Patrick Bailey: 8 G, 34 AB, .235 AVG, .672 OPS, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 12 K

Fresh from his Futures Game appearance, Marco Luciano kept putting the pedal to the metal offensively as he’s now the sole leader of the Low-A West in home runs with 16 for the season. Giants fans do need to catch their breath as the star shortstop was taken out of last night’s game in the third inning for an undisclosed reason. The Dominican did not look to injure himself in the field nor in his only at-bat but he did make a wild throw on a routine play to second base. Let’s be hopeful that he was only taken out as a precautionary measure.

Jimmy Glowenke has proven that his hot first week of July was no fluke as he continued his hot hitting over the past two weeks. It was quite a turnaround story for the 2020 second-round pick as he’s posted a triple slash of .338/.437/.581 this month with nine doubles, three home runs, and a healthy 14:9 strikeout to walk ratio. Glowenke now has a better batting average, more doubles, and as many home runs as Luis Toribio, better OBP than Alexander Canario, and more walks than Luis Matos. He’s effectively erased all the concerns that most (including mine) had on him early this season.

Another one who is really turning it around this month after a rough first couple of months is Harrison Freed. The 2019 13th round selection struggled in both May and June with a .219 batting average with only three home runs and a 35.5% strikeout rate. This July, the power-hitting outfielder is batting .324 with a .891 OPS and has homered in his last two games. The strikeouts are still a concern with a 27.8% strikeout rate, but Freed has more confidence swinging the bat and has plenty of power to tap into heading to the later stages of the season.

On the other side of the spectrum, Patrick Bailey has continued his massive offensive struggle this season down to San Jose. The 2020 1st round pick has yet to find a good groove in Low-A ball, with a .235 batting average and a strikeout rate of 31.6%, which is worse than his High-A numbers. Even though the switch-hitting catcher has been a massive disappointment this season, he’s still an above-average defender at the crouch. His two-hit, two-walk performance last night could be the spark that Bailey desperately needs to get his prospect status back as we head to the later stages of the season.

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: Rookie

Notable Performers

Aeverson Arteaga: 9 G, 31 AB, .290 AVG, .934 OPS, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 9 K
Alexander Suarez: 8 G, 30 AB, .333 AVG, .842 OPS, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 15 K, 4 SB
Elian Rayo: 7 G, 20 AB, .250 AVG, .900 OPS, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 10 BB, 2 K, 1 SB
Mauricio Pierre: 8 G, 29 AB, .345 AVG, .939 OPS, 3 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 12 K, 1 SB

With a couple more home runs over the past couple of weeks, Aeverson Arteaga has claimed sole possession of the home run lead in rookie ball this season with six blasts. The Venezuelan shortstop ranks second in the AZL in SLG, fourth in OPS, and is inside the top 15 in AVG and OBP. While Arteaga’s offensive numbers are skewed a bit by playing in a very hitter-friendly complex facility, the physical improvements that he’s shown heading to this season definitely helped him. The only concern that I have with regards to Arteaga is his below-average strikeout rate but he’s been flashing an above-average walk rate on the backfields.

The other standout player in the Arizona backfields in the past two weeks is Alexander Suarez. The cousin of top Giants prospect Luis Matos flashed his power and speed with his first home run and four stolen bases. The big thing that concerns me about his hot start this season is that his performance is fueled by a high BABIP of .444 and his peripherals (4.5% walk rate and 35.8% strikeout rate) are well below average. If he can improve his peripherals over the course of this season, he could make plenty of noise.

Down in the Felipe Alou Academy, Elian Rayo is controlling the strike zone that even Logan Wyatt could only dream of with a 33.3% walk rate and only a 6.7% strikeout rate. The 6’0″, 202 lbs. third baseman from Nicaragua already has a filled out frame for a teenager, and maintaining his body weight could become an issue as he gets to his mid-20s. However, he’s flashing an advanced eye at the plate and is proving to be a tough out against teenage pitching.

One of the most impressive athletes down in the Dominican Republic is the Panamanian Mauricio Pierre. One of the top signees by the Giants in the 2020 international free agent market, the outfielder has plus athleticism to go along with a projectable frame, above-average speed, and some raw power. He’s flashed a mature swing path in his first home run, and while there are obvious underdeveloped elements in his game, there is plenty of potential with the right coaching.

Stay tuned to Around the Foghorn for all the latest SF Giants news, rumors, and prospect updates. A complete rundown of the pitching in the system over the past two weeks will be published tomorrow.