SF Giants sign former Minnesota Twins 3rd-round pick to minor league deal

The SF Giants added another pitcher with upper minors experience. Former Minnesota Twins 2017 third-round pick Blayne Enlow has joined the Giants in a minor league deal. He confirmed the news on his Instagram account.

SF Giants sign former Minnesota Twins 3rd-round pick to minor league deal

The Giants are going to have a lot of starting pitcher options in the upper minors. Within the last few months, they have added Spencer Howard, Daulton Jefferies, and now Enlow. All three are former top picks who have been brought in to compete with a lot of Giants prospects for chances to start in the upper minors.

This includes Carson Whisenhunt, Landen Roupp, Mason Black, and Hayden Birdsong. Plus, Tristan Beck, Keaton Winn, Kyle Harrison, and Kai-Wei Teng are on the 40-man roster. There is a good chance that one of those last four pitchers cracks the Opening Day rotation.

Now, it bears mentioning that Howard, Jefferies, and Enlow have all had their fair share of injuries. That said, adding them is a no-risk move that could quietly pay off if any of the three stay on the mound and perform.

For Enlow, he will join just his second organization since being drafted out of St. Amant High School in St. Amant, Louisiana. Given that he was a high school draftee, he is on the younger side for a minor league free agent.

Across six minor league seasons, the right-handed pitcher has posted a 4.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, and a 2.62 SO/W ratio. This includes 7.94 ERA in 45.1 frames in Triple-A this past season. Enlow has tallied just 398 innings of work as a pro. He is light on experience due to the lost 2020 season and because he missed most of the following year after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The 24-year-old flashes a low 90's four-seam fastball that he pairs with a cutter and a curveball. He infrequently throws a sinker and a changeup, but has added a sweeper to the mix. The curveball is his best offering given that it generated a 25.6% whiff rate in Triple-A. When opposing hitters do make contact, it is usually into the ground more often than not.

Earlier in his career, Enlow struggled with control, which is not too surprising for a high school draftee. However, his command showed modest improvement in 2023. The Giants will try to keep him as a starter, but a move to the bullpen could be in the works if he is not able to develop an effective third pitch.