Breakout SF Giants prospect from last year showing another second-half surge at the plate

SF Giants corner infield prospect Sabin Ceballos went on a tear at the plate in spring training. It has been a relatively quiet season for Ceballos, but he is in the midst of another second-half surge.

Breakout SF Giants prospect from last year showing another second-half surge at the plate

The Giants acquired Ceballos at last year's trade deadline in a deal that sent Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson to the Atlanta Braves. Ceballos returned to familiar territory with the Eugene Emeralds. He was a third-round pick by the Braves in the 2023 draft out of the University of Oregon. That is the same field used by the Emeralds.

The right-handed bat immediately went on a tear at the plate to finish the season. He added to that excitement with a strong spring. No other Giants prospect made quite the impression that Ceballos did in the Cactus League. He tallied nine hits, including two doubles and one home run, with seven RBI in 15 at-bats.

Given that Ceballos was a college draftee and the success he had at the end of last year, assigning him to Double-A was an appropriate move. That said, the Eastern League can be a tough hitter's environment for a lot of reasons. Most notably, the pitching is better, along with expansive ballpark dimensions and a wet and cold climate. The ball does not carry.

Ceballos struggled right out of the gates with the Richmond Flying Squirrels. This is not uncommon with Giants prospects, as the Eastern League proves to be a pretty good litmus test. He struggled to a .522 OPS in 243 plate appearances through the first three months of the year. Perhaps, as the weather warmed up, so did Ceballos' bat.

Since July 1, the 23-year-old prospect is hitting .286/.379/.464 (146 wRC+) with four home runs, 19 RBI, and 16 runs in 134 plate appearances. During that time, the strikeout rate remains low at 17.2 percent. Though, swinging and missing is not much of a problem, as he has a slightly higher contact rate at 81.5 percent than he did last year at the lower levels.

Overall, he has a .635 OPS in 377 plate appearances. That does not sound like a high mark, but the league average is a .681 OPS.

Development is never linear, and players go through ups and downs throughout the year. With Ceballos, it is encouraging that his numbers are trending more favorably as the season progresses.

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