Everything SF Giants fans need to know about the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels

The Richmond Flying Squirrels embarks on another season in the Eastern League in 2024. This year's roster is not as loaded as compared to the past couple of seasons that featured the biggest prospects in the SF Giants farm system in the Farhan Zaidi era, but its depth is still quite impressive and should make it a contender. Its pitching staff is one of the deepest among all Giants affiliates but the outfield talent and depth is the best with many prospects with talent and name recognition.

Everything SF Giants fans need to know about the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels

Dennis Pelfrey continues to lead the charge as the Flying Squirrels manager for the third straight season with all of the important personnel returning. The only additions are athletic trainer Tim Vigue who came via Eugene and strength and conditioning coach Michelle Kuda who came via San Jose. They shall lead the squad that has once again serious playoff aspirations but development should still be in the utmost priority as several of the prospects in the squad are looking to potentially reach the Majors in the next couple of seasons.

Prospects in the IL

Michael Stryffeler
Nick Zwack

Pitchers

John Michael Bertrand

Bertrand was a reliable presence in, San Jose, Eugene, and Richmond rotations last season. He served as some sort of a "veteran" presence for the pitching staff due to his relatively old age for the level. He has average control of his stuff with a low-90s sinker, a mid-80s slider, and a changeup that he throws from a 3/4 arm slot.

Hayden Birdsong (#12 prospect)

Birdsong soared through the ladder last season as he morphed into a potential mid-rotation starter. His fastball sits in the 92-97 mph range with good ride and some run from a high 3/4 slot. His best secondary pitch is his 81-85 mph slider with plenty of depth and some sweep that generates plenty of whiffs. His high-70s curveball is still a weapon that he generates good whiffs while his high-80s changeup needs work but flashes average at its very best. He needs to work on smoothening the edges, particularly his fastball control, but he has a prototypical power pitcher profile.

Jose Cruz

Cruz was one of the most volatile relievers in the Giants farm system last season, striking out a lot of batters but also giving up a lot of walks. His struggles stemmed from a worse fastball control while still retaining its 92-96 mph velocity from a low 3/4 arm slot. His inability to throw his fastball for consistent strikes hurt his mid-80s changeup's effectiveness. He also has yet to have a consistent pitch that moves glove-side (e.g. a slider) to become a weapon against righties.

Matt Frisbee

Frisbee continued to have a reduced role last season after crashing and burning in the second half of 2022. He still had some substantial role but was mainly limited to middle relief or as a set-up man. He's struggled to garner much strikeouts as well as limiting his walks with his low-90s fastball, slider, and changeup/splitter combination.

Nick Garcia

The Giants acquired Garcia in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft from the Rockies. One fun note is that Garcia was acquired by the Rockies from the Pirates in a trade involving former Giant Connor Joe. He struggled mightily as a starter last season and they prompted him to move to more bullpen duties towards the end of last season. He has a fastball that touches 96 mph and a mid-80s slider and changeup. One of his issues is the lack of deception in his delivery allowing hitters to barrel his relatively good stuff much more often.

Everything SF Giants fans need to know about the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels

Position Players

Brett Auerbach

Auerbach made another play-of-the-year candidate behind the dish last season as an Emerald. Outside of that though, he's struggled massively offensively in Eugene and much more so with Richmond. His chase tendencies got exposed heavily last season and was struggling to hit for contact and power. His struggles might have affected his confidence throughout last season. Defensively though, he's still shown that he can be an asset by playing multiple positions while showcasing his good athleticism.

Victor Bericoto (#25 prospect)

Bericoto had a massive breakout in 2023, leading all Giants hitters in a number of offensive categories. His raw power is clearly at least plus, and has shown the ability to hit the ball out of the park more consistently this year thanks to a shift to his swing path. He made his swing path slightly more uphill to induce more flyballs but did not entirely result in a total breakdown of his overall approach.

His eye at the plate is still solid even though there is some inherent over-aggression. His defense in the outfield is below-average with a lack of range and instincts but makes up for it with a strong arm. He has shown the ability to play first base with big-league potential but the bat will certainly carry his value.

Hunter Bishop

Bishop missed the entire 2023 season while he recovered after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He's played this spring, and while there were some rough spots, particularly struggling with his reads in left field, the most important thing is that he's shown that he is fully healthy once again. The swing surely needs more work but he had a feel-good moment in the few games that he's played when he laced a single to left field in one of his plate appearances and drove one to the warning track in another.

Vaun Brown (#24 prospect)

Brown's issues were exposed in 2023, leaving plenty of doubt regarding his overall potential. His athleticism is still prominent with plus-plus raw power and speed. However, injuries resulted in him struggling to find a groove on both sides of the ball. His bat speed is still like last season but he kept on expanding the zone unnecessarily, resulting in plenty of strikeouts and bad performance.

Damon Dues

Dues was one of the most unheralded prospects in the Giants farm system last season and deserves more love with his fascinating skillset. He was never known for his power, but he put his good speed to use. He's adept at taking the extra base and has shown great base-stealing instincts. He's also shown a good approach at the batter's box alongside a solid feel for the barrel. He can play in both middle infield positions as well was the outfield and can even pitch on a pinch.

Jimmy Glowenke

Glowenke led the team in several offensive categories last season when he got promoted to the squad while maintaining a healthy strikeout and walk rates. He looked closer to his college self than in his earlier days as a pro in the second half of the season with Richmond. He's consistently made solid contact, showed good approach, and was a fine defender at second base. He's also dabbled with playing at third base this spring so there is a possibility that we will see him play there.

Everything SF Giants fans need to know about the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels

Position players (continued)

Carter Howell

Howell was tasked to fill up the Meckler-sized hole in the outfield when the latter was called up to Double-A in the middle of last season. He's had a stellar campaign with San Jose before holding his own against High-A pitching. His swing might be a bit unorthodox and not conducive to hitting for power but he's able to squeeze the most out of his strengths on the field. He's a good contact hitter with gap-to-gap power along with plus speed on the basepaths and on the outfield where he's shown that he's a capable center fielder.

Christian Koss

The Giants swung a minor trade with the Red Sox for Koss on Opening Day. Koss was once ranked in the top 30 prospects rankings of both the Rockies and the Red Sox farm system before struggling with his health and performance last season. He's displayed solid power potential throughout his professional career with the exception of last season where his overall numbers have been down. He has the speed and the arm strength to play both middle infield positions and has dabbled with playing in the outfield. Expect him to be a versatile player for the Flying Squirrels.

Grant McCray (#17 prospect)

McCray continued to demonstrate his high-risk, high-ceiling profile last season with Eugene. He's displayed his big-league quality defense at center field with plus-plus raw speed providing him the range, natural instincts, and at least an above-average arm strength. He is also quite aggressive on the base paths and has shown improvement as a base stealer, able to steal bases with high volume and good efficiency. Offensively, he's known to be a streaky hitter but was more apparent last season with big stretches of bad hitting. He struggles with high fastballs with his upper-cut swing and is prone to chase. He's shown quite surprising power potential in the past though how consistently can he tap it with his hit tool is the biggest question.

Dilan Rosario

Rosario is an interesting inclusion to the roster to due his playing only five games beyond Low-A San Jose so far in his pro career. His play in San Jose last season has not lit up the world on fire. The visible physical improvements on his frame could result in more pop in his bat though but his overall approach and contact skills are fringy at best. He can play the middle infield positions but was moved all around the field on defense with solid speed.

Adrian Sugastey (#26 prospect)

Sugastey has remained pretty much the same for the past three seasons profile-wise. He's still a contact-over-power hitter even though he has at least above-average raw power. He makes plenty of contact while having a solid sense of the strike zone though he heavily relies on putting the ball in play to generate his value. His defense behind the plate is still great with a strong arm, good framing skills, and overall fundamentals. He could look stiff at times but he looked rock steady for the past two years now. He's a low-ceiling, high-floor backup catcher.

Andy Thomas

Thomas was an interesting experiment throughout the season as a lefty bat who fits the mold that the Giants really like. He played behind the plate, was great at controlling the strike zone, and showed some power. He was swinging his lefty bat as hard as he could while also being a solid defender behind the dish.

Luis Toribio

Toribio continued to display his power potential in Eugene last season but has once again struggled to contain his strikeouts down. His overall performance last season though was a bit better compared to 2022 but it was still far from ideal. He plays in both corner infield spots but his lack of feel for playing the hot corner even though he has the arm strength to do so will limit him to playing at first, where he's looked average throughout the past two seasons.

Will Wilson

Wilson struggled to find a consistent positive performance last season in both Double-A and Triple-A. He's continued to show fringy power but his contact ability is below average and his eye at the plate can be suspect. He has continued to play at shortstop and he looks like he can play the part but his lack of range and pure oomph on his right arm limits his place in the dirt. They continue to trot him at the position but it would be best to move him to a more forgiving defensive position.

Logan Wyatt

Wyatt proved that he could tap into his power last season without hampering his walk and strikeout rates too much last season in Eugene. He is not the best of athletes but his feel for the strike zone is one of the best in the organization but he does not have the best swing speed. He is a big athlete though with a great physique. It limits his position on the field to first base or to a DH though where he is quite stiff but the glove is average.