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

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.