Undrafted free agent pitcher considered a sleeper prospect in SF Giants system

SF Giants undrafted pitching prospect Trent Harris is overpowering hitters in the lower minors and he has caught the attention of at least one prospect evaluator. Jim Callis of MLB.Com considers Harris to be a sleeper prospect in the Giants system.

Undrafted free agent pitcher considered a sleeper prospect in SF Giants system

In a very brief writeup, Callis recognized Harris' baseball pedigree, mid 90's fastball, and two high-spin breaking pitchers as traits to monitor. Harris is the son of former big league pitcher Greg Harris. The elder Harris had a 15-year career, most notably with the Boston Red Sox.

In 1993, led baseball with 80 appearances while posting a 3.77 ERA out of the Red Sox bullpen. Harris holds a unique place in baseball history as he is one of a handful of pitchers to throw with both arms in the same game. In a game against the Cincinnati Reds in 1995, Harris got future Giant Reggie Sanders to ground out from the right side, then he switched to his left hand against Hal Morris.

The last pitcher to throw with both arms in a major league game was Pat Venditte of the Miami Marlins in 2020. If that name sounds familiar, it is because he pitched out of the Giants bullpen briefly in the 2019 season.

The younger Harris is trying to make a name for himself in the Giants organization. He joined the Giants as an undrafted free agent after working out of the bullpen for the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Since then, he has mowed down the competition in the lower minors. The hard-throwing reliever began the season in Low-A, recording a 1.14 ERA with 44 strikeouts, 12 walks, and 16 hits allowed in 31.2 frames before earning a promotion to High-A. It has been more of the same for Harris as he has tallied a 2.48 ERA with 44 strikeouts and 11 walks in 32.2 innings for the Eugene Emeralds.

On the mound, the 25-year-old pitcher has a four-pitch arsenal consisting of a mid 90's fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup. He misses a lot of bats up in the zone with his fastball and can command his curveball both in and out of the zone for strikes. The slider and changeup are a work in progress, but the former has the spin to eventually turn into a solid offer. With three potential pitches, there is a chance that he could work out of the rotation, but that is a conversation for a different time.

In the meantime, Harris has become a pop-up reliever in the Giants system with a healthy strikeout rate. Given his age and the fact that he works out of the bullpen, the Giants will be aggressive with his development. For the time being, he continues to excel in High-A.