SF Giants pitching prospects rundown (5/14 - 5/20)

SF Giants pitching prospects rundown (5/14 - 5/20)

Flying Squirrels Pitching Prospects

Notable Performers

R.J. Dabovich: 1 G, 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 0.00 ERA
Kai-Wei Teng: 2 G (2 GS), 14 H, 9 R (9 ER), 2 HBP, 4 BB, 5 K, 8.68 ERA
Matt Frisbee: 1 G (1 GS), 5.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R (5 ER), 3 BB, 2 K, 8.44 ERA

After a bit of a stumble last month, R.J. Dabovich is starting to pick up steam again. It's actually pretty funny to see that Dabovich gives up three earned runs at the start of each month before shutting the doors down afterward until the end of the month. The 4.05 ERA might be disappointing but I am actually feeling pretty good about the form that Dabovich is in recently because the crispness of the fastball came back this month after looking a bit shaky in April. The control still looks a bit worse this season compared to last season so that's something that I would like to see him refine as the weather warms up.

Both Kai-Wei Teng and Matt Frisbee got roughed up this week and honestly, both of them have a similar feel to their game right now so I clumped both of them in one talk. Both Teng and Frisbee have an at least above-average breaking ball with a feel to spin and enough control for the pitch to induce plenty of swings and misses but their overall control, specifically their fastball control, has gotten away from them this week. Teng's fastball control will not be resolved unless he makes adjustments to his lower half in his delivery. With Frisbee though, I am concerned that he's plateaued in his development and his confidence might be hit when he got shelled in Sacramento last season.

SF Giants pitching prospects rundown (5/14 - 5/20)

Emeralds Pitching Prospects

Notable Performers

Ryan Murphy: 1 G (1 GS), 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 0.00 ERA
Kyle Harrison: 2 G (2 GS), 10 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 17 K, 0.00 ERA
Jake Wong: 1 G, 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA

It might have taken a month and a half but finally, Ryan Murphy is back. In a shocking but expected fashion, the Giants' front office decided to assign Murphy to Eugene to start his 2022 season where he dominated the level in the final months of last season. Murphy has introduced a couple of tweaks in his pitching this season and we have finally seen it. His torso is now taller and his path to the plate is straighter compared to last season as a result of removing most of his crossfire. He's also introduced a changeup discreetly that has the potential to become a good pitch because it looked visibly slower than his fastball while throwing the same arm speed. I am taking this early starts in Eugene for Murphy as a rehab stint where he definitely deserves to play in Richmond for most of this season.

Speaking of deserving to play in Richmond, Kyle Harrison definitely fits that conversation. Harrison's just doing this by the daily now and he now has 59 strikeouts in 29 innings of work this season. For me, the numbers do not matter anymore as I know what he can already do. What I want more is what he could do to take his game to the next level, specifically what his third pitch would be. He's trying out a curveball now alongside his changeup to pair up with his fastball and slider. I need to watch more of his curveball to better assess it but my first impression is it looked good. It would be huge for him to develop one of those pitches to an average offering or better to make him an elite starter prospect.

Capping the Emeralds rundown is Jake Wong's best performance of the season throwing four hitless innings of relief. Wong has been solid but unspectacular before last week with a 3.72 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 19.1 innings pitched this season. He's still pretty much a full four-pitch guy but we've seen that he's still utilizing the fastball-curve as his go-to pitches and the fastball is still sizzling topping out in the high-90s. Wong's role might still be in middle relief but a guy with this kind of velocity should get to at least the high-Minors.

SF Giants pitching prospects rundown (5/14 - 5/20)

SJ Giants Pitching Prospects

Notable Performances

Mason Black: 1 G (1 GS), 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 0.00 ERA
Esmerlin Vinicio: 2 G, 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 HBP, 1 BB, 6 K, 2.08 ERA
Evan Gates: 1 G, 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA
Spencer Bivens: 1 G, 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA

Mason Black has been the most consistent pitcher in the San Jose Giants team this season. Among pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched this season in the California League, Black is first in ERA, third in xFIP, fourth in groundball rate, and fifth in K/BB. The thing that is a bit concerning with Black is the dip in his swing and miss ability and ability to rack up the strikeouts (13.5% swinging strike rate, 31.9% strikeout rate which is sixth among Giants pitchers with more than 20 innings pitched) which might be a result of his fastball shape but it's working out very well for Black right now in terms of his strike-throwing and pure stuff.

Esmerlin Vinicio was considered as the top pitcher in the 2019 Giants' international FA class but he has not lived up much to the expectations so far. Vinicio has a 4.50 ERA and a corresponding 4.89 xFIP this season with 17 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched. The most worrying thing for me is the lack of physicality on his frame. He has not added much on his frame and that limits him to a relief role. His baggy clothes hide the thin frame that he has underneath. But Vinicio can viciously spin it as his curveball is at least above-average to plus. The issue is that his fastball velocity has not ticked up and he has not develop in terms of fine command. Vinicio is a fit for relief.

Entering this season, I have named Evan Gates as one of the potential breakout prospects and while it might be loud, Gates has been very good reliever in the San Jose bullpen this season. Gates is effective because of his north-south approach with his high fastball, low curveball combination. The velocity reaches 94 MPH and the curveball is very effective in inducing swings and misses. He might be 24 years old but Gates can be a dude who might reach the high-Minors.

Who the hell is Spencer Bivens? How can a 27-year-old pitch in a professional setting for the first time in his career? Well, because Bivens has some potential. Signed to a Minors deal, and Bivens toiled in Indy ball for the past couple of years after coming out of college (Rogers State graduate) but looked like has spent the past couple of years at Tread Athletics. Bivens has a funky delivery with a pretty stiff look at leg kick and a whirling motion that resembles Tim Lincecum. Bivens has a very horizontal movement profile with his pitches similar to Logan Webb and his twirling motion gives him deception. It would be interesting what the Giants plan with Bivens but he might be a potential diamond in the rough.