New SF Giants corner infield prospect continues to thrive at the plate following trade from Yankees

Corner infield prospect Parks Harber was one of four prospects added in a trade that sent Camilo Doval to the New York Yankees. Harber was on a tear at the plate with New York's High-A club, and he has been hitting even better since joining the Giants organization.

New SF Giants corner infield prospect continues to thrive at the plate following trade from Yankees

Doval's stint with New York has been rough. He has pitched to a 4.76 ERA in 13 appearances, and there have been some tough moments despite being with the Yankees for only one month. Doval is eligible for arbitration in the offseason and due for a raise from his $4.5 million salary this season. That becomes a real question as to whether the Yankees will tender him a contract for 2026. More than likely, they will.

Harber was acquired alongside Jesús Rodríguez, Trystan Vrieling, and Carlos De La Rosa. Rodríguez and Vrieling are in the upper minors, with the former occupying a spot on the 40-man roster. Vrieling is eligible for the Rule 5 draft in the offseason.

On the other hand, Harber is in his first full season as a pro and put up some impressive numbers in the lower minors. He was signed as an undrafted free agent last summer out of the University of North Carolina. Harber does have experience against ACC and SEC pitching, which can point to an easier transition to pro ball.

With the MLB draft being reduced to 20 rounds in recent years, teams are going to find more successes with undrafted free agents than they had previously. Bo Davidson and Trent Harris have emerged as two of the Giants' better prospects, and both were signed as undrafted free agents in 2023.

Harber might quickly put himself in that conversation, too. He was hitting .326/.395/.489 (158 wRC+) in 152 plate appearances with New York's High-A affiliate. The right-handed bat has been even better with the Giants, slashing .304/.424/.652 (184 wRC+) with seven home runs, 20 RBI, and 17 runs in 85 plate appearances with the Eugene Emeralds.

The Emeralds have been on a tear in the second half. This has been due to some strong performances from Harber, Nate Furman, and Charlie Szykowny.

Harber is on the older side in High-A at 23, and his numbers would normally merit a promotion. However, with the minor league season winding down, that seems unlikely. He has missed some time this season, so an assignment to the Arizona Fall League in October might not be out of the question.

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