SF Giants minor league manager says unheralded prospect has opened some eyes in the organization

SF Giants prospect Thomas Gavello is off to a solid start with the Sacramento River Cats. His manager, Dave Brundage, says that the unheralded infield prospect has opened some eyes in the organization with his performance lately.

SF Giants minor league manager says unheralded prospect has opened some eyes in the organization

On Sunday, Brundage joined Bill Laskey on The Extra Innings Show on KNBR to discuss the River Cats. Laskey asked Brundage about Gavello, and the River Cats' manager was quick to give praise:

"He's [Thomas Gavello] a baseball player. By that, I mean with the upmost respect... He plays the game the right way. He does a lot of things well. He's got the talent. He's got a strong arm. He plays third base, he plays second base. He's swung the bat... He's had good at-bats... He's opened some eyes in the organization."

That is a lot of nice compliments from Brundage. The left-handed bat is hitting .341/.402/.561 (144 wRC+) with four home runs, 22 RBI, and 17 runs in 98 plate appearances with Sacramento. The strikeout rate is high at 30.1 percent, but he has offset that to some degree with a .220 ISO.

This is Gavello's first stint in Triple-A. He began the season with the Eugene Emeralds, followed by a promotion to the Richmond Flying Squirrels. He put up a strong .751 OPS with three home runs and 15 RBI in 99 plate appearances in the Eastern League. That league tends to be a tough environment on hitters. Gavello has continued to thrive with Sacramento.

The Giants drafted Gavello in the 13th round of the 2022 draft out of the University of the Pacific. He has generally put up quality numbers in the minors, but had a run with the San Jose Giants in 2023 where he posted an .877OPS in 263 plate appearances.

Gavello has made some strides in improving his contact rate to 72.0 percent this year. He has a pull-heavy swing, so there is some inherent swing and miss with his approach. The left-handed bat has seen his power uptick this year after closing his stance.

As Dave Brundage notes, Gavello has experience all around the diamond. He has played only second base and third base with Sacramento. That said, the 24-year-old utility player has also seen time at shortstop, left field, and even catcher as a pro. That type of versatility will get your name in the lineup a lot, and Gavello has made a good impression in his first stint with Sacramento.

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