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

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

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

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 Pitching Prospects

Notable Performers

Enmanuel de Jesus: 2 G (2 GS), 9.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R (4 ER), 5 BB, 14 K, 3.86 ERA
Tristan Beck: 1 G (1 GS), 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 6 K, 3.00 ERA
Raynel Espinal: 1 G (1 GS), 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 HBP, 1 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA

Enmanuel de Jesus brought his strikeout stuff this week highlighted by his 4.1 innings of two-hit work with nine strikeouts. The walks have been an issue with de Jesus this season as he allowed at least two walks in six straight appearances but he's picking up the pace recently on the strikeout column. His breaking ball looks pretty good as well as his fastball and it's just honing it in that is what's holding de Jesus back this season.

After a couple of rough outings, Tristan Beck has finally put a strong outing at the Triple-A level against Tacoma. The good thing for Beck is that he's still throwing strikes (65% strike rate) and he is not getting beat via the long ball unlike Frisbee when he got promoted last season. Beck's 9.68 ERA in the Triple-A level should go down (5.73 xFIP) but what Beck could become is still a pending question to be answered.

Raynel Espinal has been the best starting pitcher in the River Cats staff this season with a 2.70 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 30 innings this season. His funk really stands out and he keeps on being consistent even though his walk rate is a bit high (11.3%). His near five-foot release height gives his pitches a good plane above the zone where he attacks hitters with his fastball and slider. There is a chance that Espinal could see the big leagues this season and potentially be a good relief pitcher with some starter traits.

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.