SF Giants hitting prospects week in review (7/31-8/13)

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: Double-A

Notable Performers

Diego Rincones: 9 G, 35 AB, .400 AVG, 1.102 OPS, 4 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K
Sandro Fabian: 10 G, 27 AB, .407 1.145 OPS, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K
Frankie Tostado: 10 G, 37 AB, .189 AVG, .609 OPS, 1 2B, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 10 K
Will Wilson: 10 G, 35 AB, .086 AVG, .334 OPS, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 18 K

Diego Rincones has found his footing in Richmond with an impressive August. I have noted earlier this season that Rincones is a consistent hitter throughout a minor league season. The most amazing thing is that even though he moved up a level and the competition certainly got tougher, Rincones’ numbers between High-A and Double-A are similar. I have yet to see Rincones get consistently challenged up in the zone in Double-A but his swing path certainly proved that he’s an expert low-ball hitter and a legitimate top 30 prospect.

Joining Rincones in their hot barrage this month is Sandro Fabian. The outfielder brought his batting average up to .266 after a hot start to his August and has hit for double-digit home runs in a season for the first time since 2018. An interesting thing to note is that Fabian and Rincones have a similar profile: both are hit-over-power corner outfielders with strong arms and below-average speed. The thing that makes Rincones a better prospect is that he has a much higher walk rate than Fabian.

On the other side of the spectrum is the struggle of Frankie Tostado. After a stellar first half of the season, Tostado has hit a wall offensively. Over his last 21 games, Tostado struggled with a .177 batting average, a .583 OPS, and just three home runs. The good thing is that Tostado kept his strikeout rate to a manageable 23% but his power got sapped from .493 in his first 58 games to just .342. He might be running into bad luck as he only has a .193 BABIP but I noticed that there’s more waggle in his bat in his loading phase recently compared to his earlier swings. Whether it’s mechanical or luck, Tostado needs a good finish to assure the legitimacy of his breakout 2021.

To cap off the Flying Squirrels review is a prospect who might be running into really bad habits, and that’s Will Wilson. Both Wilson and Rincones were called up to Richmond on the same day but it’s Wilson who’s taken a nosedive while Rincones held his ground and is performing well recently. With a 43.9% strikeout rate over the past couple of weeks, it took his strikeout rate as a Flying Squirrel to 38%. If Wilson does not turn it around before the end of the season, it’s really hard to put him highly in next season’s top prospects list as a guy without flashy tools.

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: High-A

Notable Performers

Tyler Fitzgerald: 12 G, 51 AB, .412 AVG, 1.258 OPS, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 4 BB, 13 K
Armani Smith: 10 G, 43 AB, .349 AVG, 1.009 OPS, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 11 K, 1 SB
Sean Roby: 12 G, 48 AB, .292 AVG, 1.007 OPS, 4 2B, 4 HR, 7 BB, 17 K, 2 SB
Marco Luciano: 8 G, 34 AB, .118 AVG, .478 OPS, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 19 K

What a couple of weeks for Tyler Fitzgerald. The 2019 fourth-round selection has made a couple of memorable moments in August with him hitting for the cycle and a two-homer game. Over the past month, Fitzgerald has a .366 batting average with a 1.188 OPS, 14 doubles, two triples, eight homers, and 26 RBI. He still has a high strikeout rate of 27.4% over the 27-game stretch but you can’t deny his production. Over the course of the season, he ranks near the top of High-A West in hits, runs scored, and doubles and is second in both homers and RBI. Fitzgerald is pushing himself towards that top 30 prospects contention with a strong season for the Emeralds.

After struggling to keep his hot start to his Emeralds career last month where he only posted a .203 batting average and an OPS of .623, Armani Smith is back at it again with a strong August. The biggest concern that surrounded Smith in his cold July is the rise in his strikeout rate, as it spiked to 29.8% in 19 games from 23.5% in his first 12 games as an Emerald. In 10 games this August, his strikeout rate is now back to his early-Eugene days with 23.4%. A strong finish could see Armani getting back towards the top 30 discussions if he has ever left.

If there is one thing that Sean Roby can do well, it is hitting the ball out of the park. His 13 home runs this season is second in the team and Roby does not only scrape over the wall, but he is also flashing plus above-average raw power with one of his home runs leaving the bat at 113 MPH. His 33% strikeout rate keeps Roby’s ceiling limited, but there’s a possibility that he will be a big leaguer that could serve well in a platoon role a la Darin Ruf.

In a rather surprising move, top prospect Marco Luciano was promoted to Eugene on August 4 and the results so far were as expected. He’s shown he can hit for power (three of his four hits went for extra bases with one leaving the yard), but he’s also shown his youth as he struck out in half of his plate appearances. It is fair to question the aggressive promotion but if Luciano adjusts at the plate and has a hot streak before the season ends, it will prove his precocious offensive potential.

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: Low-A

Notable Performers

Luis Matos: 11 G, 47 AB, .447 AVG, 1.203 OPS, 4 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 SB
Jairo Pomares: 12 G, 45 AB, .422 AVG, 1.202 OPS, 4 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 5 BB, 11 K
Luis Toribio: 12 G, 43 AB, .279 AVG, .915 OPS, 4 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 9 BB, 9 K
Jimmy Glowenke: 11 G, 44 AB, .205 AVG, .709 OPS, 3 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 15 K

What a season for both Luis Matos and Jairo Pomares. Two of the three big signees from the 2018 IFA class (the other one is, of course, Marco Luciano) are having insane offensive seasons in San Jose this year. Starting off with Matos, who seemed to have found a new gear as the season reaches its fever pitch, with a .395/.430/.605 triple-slash line in the second half of the season compared to his .309/.346/.478 in his first 60 games. There was a scary moment a week ago when Matos got drilled to his hand by a pitch but has managed to miss time or affect his swing. He is a special hitter with an insane knack for consistent contact. All of his 11 home runs this season have been towards his pull side (left to center field) so I am still not sold on his power projection. Nonetheless, this is a special prospect.

Speaking of a special bat, any pitcher could not douse the raging hot bat of Jairo Pomares. One incredible stat about Pomares this season is that he was held hitless in consecutive games only once this season. The level of consistency to hit for both average and power has been a sight to behold. If qualified, his .361 batting average would lead the Low-A West and his 13 homers would rank inside the top 10. He is turning a lot of heads this season with his play and I would not be surprised if he is ranked inside the top 100 prospects in baseball next season.

Sometimes, all you need is stability to be successful. After shuffling time between third and first base for much of the first half of the season, the Giants decided to put Luis Toribio exclusively at first base. Even though it put a dent in his defensive value, Toribio sticking at first base resulted in his offensive breakout. After posting a .236/.343/.362 triple slash with a 28.3% strikeout rate in his first 47 games, the lefty hitter has a much better triple-slash line of .288/.420/.470 with just a 19.75% strikeout rate in his last 19 games, where he served as the first baseman. Toribio did not even move back to third base when Casey Schmitt missed his last three games after getting hit by a pitch.

After a sizzling July where he hit .343 with a 1.074 OPS in July, Jimmy Glowenke‘s bat cooled off as the calendar flipped to August with only a .175 batting average and a .642 OPS. The big thing this month has been the strikeouts where a third of Glowenke’s plate appearances this month went via the strikeout. I am confident that Glowenke will bounce back as he’s proven enough that he’s one of the better-hitting prospects in the system.

SF Giants Prospects Weekly Rundown: Rookie

Notable Performers

Ghordy Santos: 8 G, 23 AB, .435 AVG, 1.432 OPS, 1 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 BB, 6 K, 1 SB
Grant McCray: 7 G, 20 AB, .300 AVG, .925 OPS, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 9 K, 1 SB
Adrian Sugastey: 8 G, 29 AB, .448 AVG, .969 OPS, 2 2B, 7 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K
Yeison Lemos: 3 G, 10 AB, .300 AVG, 1.364 OPS, 1 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K

After missing out on the first month of action due to an undisclosed reason, Ghordy Santos is back in action and has certainly left an impression. He’s hit 7-13 in his last three games with the aforementioned two home runs. What was impressive is his ability to drive the ball the other way. It is to be noted that the Giants are playing in a hitter-friendly park but it’s certainly impressive to see him do things that I did not expect him to do. Already one of the best defenders in the farm system, adding more thump would definitely help Santos elevate his game. If he shows this kind of offensive potential in a full-season ball next season, Ghordy has top 30 potential.

A prospect who has not been consistently playing in the Arizona backfields but is performing well when he plays especially recently is 2019 third-rounder Grant McCray. The lanky outfielder has played really well in his last 11 games, batting .419 with a 1.150 OPS, three doubles, a triple, a homer, and a stolen base. After starting 0-11 this season, McCray now has a .295 batting average and a .837 OPS. I’m still pretty high on McCray and him performing well in the backfields is a pleasant sight.

After another standout couple of weeks of hitting, Adrian Sugastey is now fourth in batting average in the ACL with .362. The Panamanian still has not hit into power with only two doubles added to his total over the past couple of weeks, but this level of contact is what’s to be expected from him. It’s the power that comes last and Sugastey has plenty of raw power to tap to. I am excited for what’s in store for Sugastey in the future.

Even though the DSL Black team has been hampered recently by a COVID outbreak, Yeison Lemos still made an impact in just three games of work. Signed for $600,000 in 2019, Lemos flashes good defensive skills at shortstop with his strong arm and soft hands, but an already big frame that projects to get bigger could move him to third base long-term. He pulls the ball in games at a pretty high rate but has shown the ability to hit for average for his age.

Stay tuned every week for a roundup of the SF Giants hitting and pitching prospects, and an incoming update to the organization’s prospect rankings.