SF Giants hitting prospects rundown (5/15 - 5/21)

Make sure to revisit our weekly SF Giants prospect rundowns to keep up with each of the organization’s minor-league affiliates.

SF Giants hitting prospects rundown (5/15 - 5/21)

If you do not feel well acclimated to the prospects throughout the farm system, you might want to revisit this year's Prospect Week article (specifically the SF Giants 2022 prospects depth chart) or purchase the 2022 SF Giants Prospects Primer filled with scouting reports of 150 San Francisco Giants prospects from the best of the best to the unheard-of prospects. If you’re just interested in the biggest names, then the monthly updated 2022 Top 30 Prospects is just what you need.

River Cats Hitting Prospects

Donovan Walton: 5 G, 20 PA, .235 AVG, .821 OPS, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K, 1 SB
Stuart Fairchild: 3 G, 12 PA, .143 AVG, .786 OPS, 1 2B, 0 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K, 2 SB
Michael Papierski: 3 G, 11 PA, .100 AVG, .191 OPS, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 5 K

With Dealin' Farhan in action over the past week acquiring Triple-A depth, let's take a chance to talk about them this week. Starting off, we have Donovan Walton who was acquired from the Mariners. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2016 Draft by the Mariners and has done good things in the Triple-A level over the past two seasons with an OPS above .875 in both last season and this season. What is more impressive is his near-identical strikeout to walk ratio over the past two seasons (10.5% walk rate, 10.7% strikeout rate). The Zaidi regime loves taking a shot at these kinds of prospects and while Walton has not produced much in the Majors, he's a potential lefty bat who can play in the infield if ever a guy like Tommy La Stella gets injured mid-season once again.

Next up is Stuart Fairchild who again was acquired from the Mariners. Originally drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the 2017 Draft out of Wake Forest, he's been a decent prospect in the Reds farm system and was part of a trade that brought Archie Bradley to the Reds in 2020. He's toiled in the Triple-A level over the past two seasons and was quickly flipped from the Diamondbacks to the Mariners and now to the Giants. He's still a strong defensive outfielder but the pre-draft concerns about his hit tool has not gone away, especially with his strikeout numbers. He's got some raw pop to tap on to though so he's not a completely washed prospect.

The last prospect that we will talk about is Michael Papierski. Also in the 2017 Draft, Papierski was drafted by the Astros in the ninth round. Now a part of the Giants organization, Papierski's calling card ever since he was young has always been his defense behind the dish. He has a strong feel for the pitching staff and his walk rate has always been in the double-digits. I think when the Giants saw that they pounced right away. He might never be a strong thumper but Papierski has the raw juice and it's a matter of finding a way of tapping it consistently. Nonetheless, Papierski looks like a strong backup catcher.