This season, every month, we’ll update this list. While the Top 10 preseason prospects will stay on the list, at the start of every month we’ll mix in five players who are having good seasons and are worth watching, and today is the first addition.
Top Prospect Watch
#1: Kyle Harrison
This Week (AAA): 2.70 ERA, 1.50 WHIP – 6.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 15 SO
Season (AAA): 4.02 ERA, 1.98 WHIP, .179 Avg – 6 G, 6 GS, 15.2 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 HR, 21 BB, 27 SO
Harrison got in two starts on the week, and they were the two best of his season. Harrison seems to be mostly getting his legs back under him after a rough start to the season. However, that control still is a bit of a problem, as he walked a little more than one per inning over the last two starts, and that’s his main goal to bring back down as the season goes on.
#2: Marco Luciano
Did Not Play
Yep, still on the shelf is Marco Luciano’s, whose back issue has kept him in extended spring training. It’s more unclear than ever when he’ll come back.
#3: Casey Schmitt
This Week (AAA): .190/.261/.286 – 4-for-21, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 BB, 2 SO, 2-2 SB-SBA
Season (AAA): .301/.325/.372 – 34-113, 8 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 5 BB, 24 SO, 2-2 SB-SBA
It was a tough week for Schmitt, whose offensive output hit the skids as he’s been playing shortstop more and more in Sacramento. Schmitt did grab a couple more walks and his first steals of the season, but he’s going to have to get back to hitting the ball soon.
#4: Grant McCray
This Week (High-A): .167/.286/.375 – 4-24, 0 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 11 SO, 4-5 SB-SBA
Season (High-A): .149/.284/.270 – 11-74, 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 10 BB, 31 SO, 8-11 SB-SBA
Grant McCray finally broke one seal on his season, hitting his first home run of the season, but it led to barely better hitting on the week. McCray still has been picking up those steals, but the batting average needs to pick up.
#5: Carson Whisenhunt
This Week (Combined): 0.00 ERA, 0.25 WHIP – 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 BB, 13 SO
Season (Low-A): 3.29 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, .231 Avg – 4 G, 4 GS, 13.2 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 20 SO
Season (High-A): 0.00 ERA, 0.25 WHIP, .077 Avg – 1 G, 1 GS, 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 BB, 6 SO
One of the team’s big promotions this week was Carson Whisenhunt, who whizzed (sorry) past Low-A after four starts, and made just as big an impression in his High-A debut after a 2-start week. That changeup is working in Single-A so far, but we’ll see if the Northwest League can adjust to it.
#6: Vaun Brown
This Week (Low-A): .500/.500/.500 – 5-10, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2-2 SB-SBA
Season (Low-A): .500/.500/.500 – 5-10, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2-2 SB-SBA
Look who’s back! Last season’s breakout prospect finally made his return from knee surgery and extended spring training to do rehab in Low-A, and the early returns were good. No extra-base hits after two games, but a lot of hits and a couple of steals, and for a guy coming off a knee issue, the fact he’s played two complete games in center field and stole two bases is as good a sign as it gets.
#7: Luis Matos
This Week (AA): .111/.238/.111 – 2-18, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 BB, 4 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA
Season (AA): .246/.366/.348 – 17-69, 4 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 13 BB, 9 SO, 2-3 SB-SBA
It was a rough week for Matos, going just 2-for-18 with no extra base hits. Matos continues to do well with walks versus strikeouts, even in this down week, but that won’t be enough to keep things headed in the right direction.
#8: Aeverson Arteaga
This Week (High-A): .174/.259/.261 – 4-23, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 BB, 6 SO, 1-1 SB-SBA
Season (High-A): .186/.293/.314 – 13-70, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 10 BB, 23 SO, 2-3 SB-SBA
Another slow week for Arteaga, as his contact numbers have not been great all season. Arteaga’s ability to grab some doubles and some walks to help out his numbers, but he just needs to be doing more of everything.
#9: Cole Waites
This Week (AAA): 6.75 ERA, 1.88 WHIP – 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 1 BB, 4 SO
Season (AAA): 9.31 ERA, 2.38 WHIP, .282 Avg – 11 G, 3 GS, 9.2 IP, 11 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 10 SO
Speaking of rough weeks, Waites had a rough week, mostly from giving up two runs in a single game out of the three that he got into. The strikeout and walk numbers are trending in the right direction, but they have a ways to go until they look good.
#10: Mason Black
This Week (AA): 2.25 ERA, 1.00 WHIP – 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 8 SO
Season (AA): 4.40 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, .237 Avg – 4 G, 4 GS, 14.1 IP, 14 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 3 BB, 22 SO
Finally, we’ve got a good week to be talking about, as Black had a strong start to help overcome his soft start to the year. Even with a 4.40 ERA, that 22 strikeouts to three walks on the season so far is pretty danged good.
System Risers (To be chosen and replaced after each month)
Tyler Fitzgerald
This Week (AA): .421/.476/.895 – 8-19, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 6 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA
Season (AA): .324/.410/.588 – 22-68, 6 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 9 BB, 22 SO, 3-3 SB-SBA
Tyler Fitzgerald has had two straight 20-home run seasons, but this year he’s putting together a strong all-around batting line as well, which has earned him a spot on the Prospect Round-Up for May. The Giants are not going to hate a middle infield player putting up good numbers.
Carson Ragsdale
This Week (High-A): 2.25 ERA, 0.50 WHIP – 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 7 SO
Season (High-A): 2.70 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, .169 Avg – 4 G, 4 GS, 16.2 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 26 SO
Ragsdale was one of the sensations of the 2021 season, and after missing most of 2022, his start to 2023 has been excellent so far, with 26 strikeouts to three walks in 16.2 innings. It’s likely that Ragsdale could end up being another quick promotion and see Richmond very soon.
Kai-Wei Teng
This Week (AA): 2.45 ERA, 1.64 WHIP – 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 5 SO
Season (AA): 2.93 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, .189 Avg – 4 G, 4 GS, 15.1 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 30 SO
Few pitchers have looked as strong with the strikeouts in the first month of the season as Richmond’s Teng. Although this past week’s start has been one of the weakest for strikeouts, Teng is still generally leading the Giants farm system in strikeouts amongst the starters.
Wade Meckler
This Week (High-A): Did Not Play
Season (High-A): .489/.538/.689 – 22-45, 6 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 6 BB, 6 SO, 1-1 SB-SBA
Meckler might seem like a weird choice to add to the PRU after he missed the week with an unspecified hand injury, but since Meckler has been day-to-day, he may return very soon. But the former Oregon State star has looked at home at the University of Oregon field, as his numbers across the board are fantastic.
Patrick Bailey
This Week (Combined): .077/.200/.308 – 1-13, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 2 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA
Season (AA): .333/.400/.481 – 18-54, 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 6 BB, 13 SO, 2-2 SB-SBA
Season (AAA): .000/.182/.000 – 0-9, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 BB, 1 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA
With catching injuries being all the rage across the top of the system, Bailey got a promotion to Triple-A quickly this season after a good first month-ish (at least against right-handed pitchers). Bailey has struggled in his first few games at Triple-A, unfortunately, but it’s too early to make any judgements on him yet.
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