Garrett Frechette, 1B
DOB: December 31, 2000
BATS: L / THROWS: L
ACQUIRED: Drafted 5th Round (#146), 2019
LAST LEVEL: Rookie
VOLATILITY: High
GiantFutures Ranks: #2 First Base
Performance: Drafted out of high school, Frechette spent his first season in the rookie league, and acquitted himself fairly well. His slash line of .290/.364/.366 isa set of solid numbers, but not spectacular. He has yet to hit his first pro home run, though he did get 7 doubles and 2 triples in 39 games.
Frechette didn’t get as much experience as a high schooler, thanks to a hamstring injury, and broken hamate bone, and a bout with mono in his senior spring.
Strengths and Weaknesses: Frechette looks great in batting practice. He’s got a beautiful swing that has a lot of power in it, with good bat speed and a lot of leverage. The problem is that he hasn’t been able to tap into it in games so far, though as noted, he’s been hampered with his chances. Scouts love him, and hope he can tap into his offensive potential with more time and some tweaks to his mechanics.
The weakness is less weakness than questions about his ability to make the adjustments needed to reach his potential. He needs the playing time to make them.
On the field, he’s an average athlete. He should be a solid first baseman defensively, and athletically could probably handle left field if need be. He won’t be a detriment defensively, but his career depends on his bat.
2021 Outlook: Frechette’s likely destination to start the season will be Low-A San Jose, if he doesn’t get held back in extended spring training entirely to work on his mechanics. Frechette will be just 20 for the 2021 season, so the Giants may not feel the need to rush him.
Future Profile: If he develops, Frechette would look like a traditional first base slugger, with real power and hitting potential. The “if” is a big question for the fifth rounder, and there’s a lot yet to see about his ability. If he ended up getting moved to left field, he’d probably be more of an average player. But it all depends on the offense, the floor for him would be very low if he doesn’t make the adjustments needed.
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