SF Giants corner infield prospect takes home NWL Player of the Week honors

SF Giants corner infield prospect Carter Aldrete is off to a solid start to the 2022 season for the Eugene Emeralds. He capped off a strong week by taking home the Northwest League's Player of the Week honors.

SF Giants corner infield prospect takes home NWL Player of the Week honors

The 24-year-old prospect was originally selected by the Giants in the 15th round of the 2019 draft out of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. He was teammates with Giants prospects Hunter Bishop and R.J. Dabovich as well as Spencer Torkelson, who was selected with the first overall pick of the 2020 draft by the Detroit Tigers.

If the Aldrete name sounds familiar, there is a good reason for that. Mike Aldrete is a familiar name in Bay Area baseball. He played in 10 major league seasons including three seasons with the Giants and three more with the Oakland A's.

Aldrete was drafted by the Giants in the seventh round of the 1983 draft. He is the uncle of Carter, who is beginning to make a name for himself as a prospect. Carter's father, Rich Aldrete, was also drafted by the Giants in the 31st round of the 1987 draft.

Carter has worked slowly up the minor league ladder, reaching as high as High-A in the middle of his third pro season. Of course, some of this is due to the canceled minor league season in 2020. Aldrete discussed the adjustments he had to make to account for the lost season.

Aldrete struggled in his first full season as a pro, slashing .241/.301/.393 (85 wRC+) with nine home runs, 44 RBI, and 36 runs in 288 plate appearances with Eugene. This included a 7.6 percent walk rate against a very high 31.3 percent strikeout rate.

He returned for a second stint with the Emeralds and the results have been far more encouraging. The right-handed bat has registered a .286/.351/.530 line (148 wRC+) with 10 home runs, 34 RBI, and 29 runs in 188 plate appearances. His strikeout rate has improved to 19.7 percent.

Over the last seven days, Aldrete has recorded 12 hits in 25 at-bats with one home run and eight RBI. His numbers have improved as the season has progressed and he has torched Northwest League pitching recently.

A promotion to Double-A may not be out of the question, but the Giants might want to see Aldrete experience sustained success as a pro before earning a promotion. Either way, it is an encouraging sign for a Giants prospect with family ties and the ability to hit the ball with force.