SF Giants prospect update: Joe Whitman, Diego Velasquez, and Greg Farone

The SF Giants have had some standout performances in the minors recently. Pitchers Joe Whitman and Greg Farone along with Diego Velasquez are among that group.

SF Giants prospect update: Joe Whitman, Diego Velasquez, and Greg Farone

Joe Whitman's perfect start

The Richmond Flying Squirrels flirted with a no-hitter in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Somerset Patriots. They completed 8.1 innings before allowing the first hit of the game. Joe Whitman led the way with six perfect innings, striking out 10 batters.

The lefty pitcher lowered his ERA to 5.31 in five starts with Richmond, but his 3.21 FIP might be a truer indicator of how he has pitched. The strikeout rate is high, walk rate is low, and he has not given up many hits. The control was an issue at the start of last season, but he has shown some improvement in that area since then.

Whitman relies primarily on a fastball-slider mix. The four-seam fastball sits in the low-to-mid 90's. It is not an overpowering pitch, but he locates it well, especially up in the zone. The gyro slider gets distinct, two-plane movement and misses a lot of bats. Whitman will throw an occasional changeup as well.

Diego Velasquez's 13-game hitting streak

Middle infield prospect Diego Velasquez finished in Double-A last season. He put together a .763 OPS with one home run and 20 RBI in 170 plate appearances in his age-20 season. That might have been enough for the Giants to consider moving him to Triple-A at the beginning of this season.

In the end, the switch-hitting infielder returned to the Richmond Flying Squirrels for a second season. He has been even better this year, slashing .319/.392/.418 (139 wRC+) with one home run, 10 RBI, and 12 runs in 105 plate appearances with as many walks (10) as strikeouts (10).

Velasquez is in the midst of a 13-game hitting streak as well. He has tallied 20 hits in 51 at-bats during that stretch. Velasquez has above-average contact skills and has seen his contact rate jump to 91.4 percent this season. He does not hit for much power, and might be nearly maxed out in that regard. That will be what limits his overall offensive upside. It is tough to be a hitter who relies on his hit tool for offensive value in today's game, but there are still examples of that. That said, he hits the ball where it is pitched, does not try to do too much, and sprays line drives all over the field.

Greg Farone continues to dominate the California League

You could make the case that several San Jose Giants pitchers have already thrown well enough for a promotion. Greg Farone is a part of that mix, even if the Giants' front office will be more conservative with player promotions

Farone was a seventh-round pick out of the University of Alabama last year. He had a 4.93 ERA in three college seasons, but the SEC is a competitive environment in college, and not unlike the competitive level in the California League.

The southpaw pitcher has posted a 0.42 ERA with 33 strikeouts and only six walks across 21.2 innings for the San Jose Giants this season.

Farone flashes a low-90's fastball that might play up due to its pitch shape. He throws from an over-the-top release point, and the fastball gets a lot of tailing action and some running movement. He mixes in a big, 12-to-6 curveball that California League hitters are not picking up. He has a changeup as well, but I have not seen much of it.