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)

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.