SF Giants 2020 3rd-round pick promoted to Triple-A

A SF Giants pitcher prospect is now just one phone call away from Oracle Park. The Richmond Flying Squirrels team account announced that lefty pitcher Nick Swiney has been promoted to Triple-A. Recently-signed pitcher Parker Dunshee will take his spot on Richmond's roster.

SF Giants 2020 3rd-round pick promoted to Triple-A

Dunshee was originally selected by the Oakland A's in the seventh-round of the 2017 draft out of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The right-handed hurler had spent his entire pro career with the A's organization before being released at the start of this season.

He did not remain on the open market for long, signing with the Giants to a minor league deal at the end of April. The 28-year-old has posted a 4.78 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 8.8 K/9, and a 2.93 SO/W ratio across six seasons as a pro. He registered promising numbers earlier in his career, but his development has been derailed by injuries in recent seasons. This includes undergoing Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery in 2021.

Dunshee is taking the spot of fellow North Carolina native Nick Swiney. Swiney was selected by the Giants in the third round of the 2020 draft out of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The North Carolina connection does not end there. The Giants received the compensatory pick to draft Swiney when Madison Bumgarner rejected a qualifying offer and signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The veteran lefty was also drafted as a high school prospect out of North Carolina in 2007.

Swiney's pro career got off to a slow start as he sustained a concussion that kept him on the injured list for much of the 2021 season. When he has been healthy, the pitching prospect has been solid, posting a 2.82 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 11.9 K/9, and a 2.59 SO/W ratio in three minor league seasons.

The lefty pitcher began the season in Double-A. However, his stay in Richmond was brief as he tallied a 1.15 ERA in 15.2 frames before his promotion. Swiney flashes a fastball that sits in the low 90's that he pairs with an excellent changeup and a quality curveball. The fastball does not fool opposing hitters, so he plays off of the changeup and curveball to generate outs.

The former third-round pick has had no problem recording high strikeout totals, but his control is below average. It is likely that he is better suited for the bullpen with the potential as a bulk innings reliever.