SF Giants top pitching prospect looks primed for a breakout 2024

The SF Giants have a lot of questions surrounding their starting rotation. However, they also have a lot of potential. Nowhere is that potential more apparent than with top prospect Kyle Harrison. The young lefty's solid Spring Training could portend a breakout 2024.

SF Giants top pitching prospect looks primed for a breakout 2024

MLB.com ranks the 22-year-old Harrison as the top prospect in the Giants organization. It is easy to understand why. Drafted in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft, he is the most promising left-handed pitching prospect in the organization since Madison Bumgarner and his debut last season gave us a sneak peek at what he can do.

Harrison is also a Bay Area kid. Born in San Jose, he could well join Logan Webb at the top of the rotation as two guys from Northern California pitching for a Bay Area team.

Last season in the majors, Harrison looked solid. He had an ERA of 4.15 in 34 and 2/3 innings pitched. He had 35 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.154.

His most impressive start came in his home debut against the Reds. He pitched into the seventh inning and recorded 11 strikeouts without allowing an earned run. It was an electric performance that lived up to the hype and immediately got Giants fans thinking about a Giants rotation with Harrison near the top of it.

So far in Spring Training, he has picked up right where he left off last season. Prior to Thursday night's against the Dodgers, he had a 2.08 ERA with 6 strikeouts in 4 and 1/3 innings pitched. Before the rain canceled the game on Thursday, Harrison looked electric as he had six strikeouts in 2 and 2/3 innings of work. He did finish on a sour note, throwing eight straight balls but that was likely due to the poor weather.

His patented fastball looked as solid as ever as his deceptive delivery allowed him to blow guys away again and again.

Of course, this is just Spring Training and it's not like he was mowing down Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Shohei Ohtani. But he still looked really good and it is hard to not get excited about his performance thus far.

If the Giants make no further additions to their rotation, Harrison will most likely be the No. 2 starter in the rotation. That may speak more to the lack of depth in the rotation right now, but Harrison seems like the kind of guy who can live up to that billing as a top prospect.

Since 2024 still counts as Harrison's rookie year, it is possible that he could win the Rookie of the Year if he goes out and has a phenomenal year. It is early, but all signs point toward Harrison having a breakout season in 2024.