Unheralded SF Giants prospect in the midst of a power surge with Eugene

Bryce Eldridge, Carson Whisenhunt, or Josuar Gonzalez tend to capture a lot of the headlines when it comes to SF Giants prospects. However, one prospect, Charlie Szykowny, is in the midst of a power surge with the Eugene Emeralds.

Unheralded SF Giants prospect in the midst of a power surge with Eugene

The Giants drafted Szykowny in the ninth round of the 2023 draft out of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Oddly enough, his college teammate, Zane Zielinski, was also drafted by the Giants in the same round one year later.

Now, Szykowny and Zielinski are teammates for the Emeralds. Zielinski has provided some speed on the bases and quality defense at shortstop. On the other hand, Szykowny has served as a middle-of-the-order bat. In the field, he continues to see time at third base, but the majority of his playing time has been at first base in his second turn with the Emeralds.

In his first turn with Eugene, the left-handed bat recorded a .679 OPS with four home runs and 18 RBI in 170 plate appearances. He continued to show quality contact skills, with a 22.3 percent strikeout rate and 79.9 percent contact rate.

This season, the 25-year-old has been much better at the plate, slashing .260/.338/.464 (114 wRC+) with 13 home runs, 51 RBI, and 50 runs in 355 plate appearances. This includes a 5.9 percent walk rate, 18.9 percent strikeout rate, and .205 ISO. The ISO is nearly 60 points higher than it was last year.

Szykowny has been even better lately, posting a .955 OPS with nine home runs and 24 RBI in 153 plate appearances since June 1. This includes a current streak of hitting at least one home run in three straight games. More than most hitters in the Giants organization, he has a swing designed for lifting and pulling, but without a ton of swing-and-miss.

The lefty bat has a lot of natural strength, with a 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame. The Giants likely want to see him use his strength to generate even more power. For now, Szykowny is having a strong summer and could put himself in line for a promotion if it continues.