SF Giants undrafted pitching prospect wins PCL Pitcher of the Month honors

The minor league awards for May were announced earlier this week and one SF Giants prospect was recognized for a stellar stretch. Spencer Bivens of the Sacramento earned Pacific Coast League Player of the Week honors.

SF Giants undrafted pitching prospect wins PCL Pitcher of the Month honors

This is not the first time in 2024 that Bivens has garned some attention. The 29-year-old was a late addition to the club's Spring Training roster after he impressed the coaching staff with his bullpens. He made seven appearances in the Cactus League, posting a 5.00 ERA with seven strikeouts against one walk in nine innings of work.

Bivens originally came to the Giants as an undrafted free agent early in the 2022 season. He went to Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma. In Bivens' final college season in 2018, he tallied a 2.37 ERA in 13 starts but his name was not called in that year's draft despite the draft going for 40 rounds at the time. It now only runs through 20 rounds.

Bivens flashed a low-90's sinker with a slider in college. After his collegiate career came to an end, he put on 20 pounds of muscle, leading to an increase in his sinker velocity that now sits in the mid 90's.

The right-handed hurler has performed at every stop in the minors. And, he has needed to given the lack of a draft pedigree. In three seasons, he has posted a 3.48 ERA while working primarily out of the bullpen. This includes a 2.52 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 15 walks in 39.1 frames for the Sacramento River Cats this year.

The minor league hurler was even better in May. He recorded a 0.49 ERA with 17 strikeouts, nine walks, and three saves across 18.1 innings of work. The River Cats are off to a nice start this year thanks in part to Bivens' contributions in the hitter-friendly PCL.

Sacramento currently has a 37-23 overall record while sitting in first place in the West Division. It may not hold a ton of weight for the major league roster, but minor league affiliates having success is usually a good sign for an organization's health.

The Giants bullpen has struggled to a 4.48 ERA in 2024 and could look to reshuffle the back end at some point. Bivens is among the pitchers in Triple-A who could be a candidate to audition for the club later this year.