Top SF Giants third base prospect promoted to Triple-A for final week of the season

Even though the season is winding down, the SF Giants front office still feels that a last-minute promotion can be a valuable experience. Earlier this week, top shortstop prospect Marco Luciano was promoted to Double-A to help Richmond's playoff push, and now, third base prospect Casey Schmitt has moved up to Triple-A, per the team's Twitter account.

Top SF Giants third base prospect promoted to Triple-A for final week of the season

There have been some disappointing seasons this year by a few of the Giants' top prospects but that has not been the case at all with Schmitt. The 23-year-old was moved aggressively up the minor league ladder in 2022, beginning the year in High-A and finishing the season with Triple-A.

San Francisco originally drafted Schmitt in the second round of the 2020 draft out of San Diego State University. He was a two-way player in college as he served as the team's closer while being the everyday third baseman.

He received a $1.1 million signing bonus, which was significantly below the slot value of $1.5 million. This is a pick that could pay dividends for the Giants as Schmitt looks to be one of the better position-player prospects they have drafted and developed over the last decade.

The right-handed bat began the season with the Eugene Emeralds where he registered a .273/.363/.475 line (132 wRC+) with 17 home runs, 59 RBI, and 58 runs in 383 plate appearances. This includes an 11.0 percent walk rate against a 22.5 percent strikeout rate.

The Giants promoted the third base prospect to Double-A at the beginning of August, which some might argue was a bit overdue. That said, Schmitt continued to excel with the Richmond Flying Squirrels, slashing .342/.378/.517 (144 wRC+) with three home runs, 16 RBI, and 13 runs in 127 plate appearances. Remarkably, he performed even better in Double-A than he did in High-A.

The bat appears to be legitimate as Schmitt has the profile to hit for both average and power. But, his best attribute might be his glove as he is considered one of the best defenders in the minors.

For years, the Giants have struggled to develop a farm system that consistently feeds the major league club. That could be changing with the emergence of Joey Bart and David Villar and the expected arrival of Marco Luciano and Schmitt in the near future.