SF Giants to promote top pitching prospect for game against the Philadelphia Phillies

The debut of Kyle Harrison is coming this week. Robert Murray of FanSided reported on Sunday morning that the SF Giants were preparing to promote the top pitching prospect prior to Tuesday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Manager Gabe Kapler confirmed the move according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

SF Giants to promote top pitching prospect for game against the Philadelphia Phillies

Harrison does not currently occupy a spot on the 40-man roster, so the Giants will need to make a move to add him to the 40-man roster and then another move to add him to the active roster. Of course, they could do both with one move if they decide to release someone currently on the active roster.

There are not many obvious options at the moment. Marco Luciano (hamstring) is on the minor-league injury list, whereas both Ross Stripling (back) and Brandon Crawford (forearm) are on the major-league injured list. The Giants could create a spot by transferring any of the three to the 60-day injured list, but that seems unlikely with Crawford as it would end his season.

They will have to make a decision prior to Tuesday's game. His debut feels eerily similar to Tim Lincecum's debut way back in 2007 as the three-time World Series champ faced off against a loaded Phillies team. Harrison will see a strong Phillies lineup on Tuesday.

It is no surprise to see the 22-year-old garner so much attention as he is considered one of the best prospects in baseball, ranking as high as No. 18 according to MLB.Com prior to the start of the 2023 season.

His 2023 campaign has been somewhat of a mixed bag as he has registered a 4.66 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 14.4 K/9, and a 2.19 SO/W ratio in 20 starts for the Sacramento River Cats. The walk rate (6.4 BB/9) is unusually high, but like many pitchers in Triple-A, he has struggled with the automated ball-strike (ABS) system in place this year. Nevertheless, the high strikeout totals are something to expect with the left-handed pitching prospect.

His control, while currently a below-average trait, has shown improvement in his last two outings as he has not allowed a walk while striking out 11 across 7.1 innings. For the past few weeks, the Giants had been hinting that Harrison was nearing a promotion, and perhaps, these last two starts with Sacramento showed enough to support that decision.

For the Giants, this season will be defined in part by how the farm system has fed the major league roster and the addition of Harrison is a big step in the right direction.