May comes to an end, and so we shuffle up our mix of rising prospects.  But the system has only a few clear top prospects performing extremely well through two months into the season, and the question is when will another hot hitter from Sacramento get to the Majors?

Top Prospect Watch

#1: Kyle Harrison

This Week (AAA): 2.45 ERA, 1.91 WHIP – 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 5 SO

Season (AAA): 3.67 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, .151 Avg – 11 G, 11 GS, 34.1 IP, 18 H, 14 R, 14 ER, 2 HR, 31 BB, 61 SO

It was a bit of a short start for Kyle Harrison, but it was more of the same for him.  Not a lot of runs or hits, a lot of strikeouts, and a few more walks than you’d like to see.  Harrison has done a strong job so far this season, but the biggest thing for him is tightening up that control and reducing the walks.  But that’s all.

#2: Marco Luciano 

This Week (AA): .095/.231/.238 – 2-21, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 BB, 10 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA

Season (AA): .158/.272/.368 – 15-95, 5 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 16 BB, 38 SO, 2-2 SB-SBA

It’s now been about a month since Marco Luciano has gotten back to playing this season, and at some point…he needs to get started hitting at some point.  Luciano hasn’t really ever challenged breaking the Mendoza Line since coming back, and while the power has been there, the hitting and walks just are not there yet.  Hopefully, he’ll get back into it soon, but it’s hard to know how bad and how long the back injury will affect him.

#3: Casey Schmitt

This Week (MLB): .208/.200/.292 – 5-24, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 BB, 6 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA

Season (AAA): .313/.352/.410 – 42-134, 10 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 8 BB, 28 SO, 3-3 SB-SBA

Season (MLB): .295/.299/.432 – 28-95, 7 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 1 BB, 20 SO, 2-3 SB-SBA

Since getting up to the big leagues, Schmitt has been swinging wildly and it’s been working out for him.  But, the honeymoon might be over, and now the aggressive swinging might be working against him.  There’s a significant lack of walks, which plagued him early in Triple-A as well.  However, either way, we are at that important period of adjustment, and it’s time to see if Schmitt can do it.

#4: Grant McCray

This Week (High-A): .273/.385/.500 – 6-22, 0 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 BB, 3 SO, 1-1 SB-SBA

Season (High-A): .231/.340/.416 – 40-173, 7 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 25 BB, 65 SO, 20-25 SB-SBA

Over the past couple of weeks, McCray has started to feel like he’s settling into a midseason pace, with solid numbers, power, walks, and steals.  After a second straight cold April, that’s good to see.  His overall numbers could still rise, but he’s getting onto the right track.

#5: Carson Whisenhunt

This Week (High-A): 0.00 ERA, 0.20 WHIP – 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 BB, 7 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): 1.77 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, .118 Avg – 5 G, 5 GS, 20.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 29 SO

After his worst start of the season in High-A, Whisenhunt bounced back with one of his best starts.  Whisenhunt has now had four games in Low-A, and five in High-A, and there’s been no faltering yet.  He’s settling into the top echelon of the farm system, and right now, is the clear number two pitching prospect in the system behind Kyle Harrison, and perhaps the only other clear starting pitching prospect.

#6: Vaun Brown

This Week (AA): .462/.563/.846 – 6-13, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 5 SO, 1-1 SB-SBA

Season (Low-A): .412/.500/.529 – 7-17, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 BB, 5 SO, 3-3 SB-SBA

Season (High-A): .300/.391/.550 – 6-20, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 5 SO, 2-2 SB-SBA

Season (AA): .378/.465/.676 – 14-37, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 4 BB, 16 SO, 1-1 SB-SBA

On one hand, Vaun Brown is just keeping up the pace of good offense when he’s at the plate.  The question is keeping him at the plate, as he’s only played back-to-back days three times this season, and now seems to be out again after getting hit with a pitch on Saturday, though he stayed in for a few innings after.  Hopefully he’ll be back on the field again early this upcoming week.

#7: Luis Matos

This Week (AAA): .533/.548/.700 – 16-30, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 BB, 4 SO, 2-3 SB-SBA

Season (AA): .304/.398/.443 – 35-115, 7 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 17 BB, 12 SO, 9-13 SB-SBA

Season (AAA): .391/.432/.565 – 27-69, 5 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 5 BB, 5 SO, 2-2 SB-SBA

Right now, the best hitter in the system is Luis Matos, and it’s not even close.  He’s been getting a lot of multi-hit games at Triple-A, and though he has only played 11 games at the level, a lot of fans seem to think he’s ready for the big leagues.  I’m not there, yet…but he’s on the right track.

#8: Aeverson Arteaga

This Week (High-A): .182/.280/.318 – 4-22, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 7 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA

Season (High-A): .211/.308/.404 – 34-161, 10 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 21 BB, 46 SO, 4-6 SB-SBA

Arteaga reached a high point in late May, with three straight days with a home run, and has cooled off since then.  Arteaga’s still developing the defense and is the best shortstop in the system still.

#9: Cole Waites

This Week (AAA): 0.00 ERA, 1.71 WHIP – 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 3 SO

Season (AAA): 5.63 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, .258 Avg – 17 G, 3 GS, 16.0 IP, 16 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 13 BB, 13 SO

Ever since returning from the Majors, Waites hasn’t allowed a run, and so his Triple-A numbers have been getting whittled down from where it was after his cold start.  The big question, however, is his fastball and his strikeouts have been way down from Waites last season.

#10: Mason Black

This Week (AA): 6.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP – 4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 4 SO

Season (AA): 5.79 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, .242 Avg – 9 G, 9 GS, 32.2 IP, 30 H, 23 R, 21 ER, 6 HR, 14 BB, 41 SO

It was a rough week for Black again, as he’s been struggling over the past month.  The strikeout numbers still look good however.

System Risers (To be chosen and replaced after each month)

Tyler Fitzgerald

This Week (AAA): .304/.407/.304 – 7-23, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 BB, 5 SO, 4-4 SB-SBA

Season (AA): .324/.410/.588 – 22-68, 6 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 9 BB, 22 SO, 3-3 SB-SBA

Season (AAA): .305/.391/.576 – 18-59, 5 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 9 BB, 14 SO, 6-6 SB-SBA

A couple of weeks into his Triple-A stint, Tyler Fitzgerald is continuing to make some good contact.  Though his power has dropped off recently, he’s still making a lot of contact, and getting his extra bases on steals this past week.

Wade Meckler

This Week (High-A): DNP

Season (High-A): .456/.494/.633 – 36-79, 6 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6 BB, 9 SO, 2-3 SB-SBA

Season (AA): .333/.407/.333 – 8-24, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 BB, 2 SO, 1-1 SB-SBA

Meckler’s season is on hold, as he’s suffered an oblique injury.  That’s unfortunate, as the 2023 draftee’s breakout had pushed him all the way up to Double-A.  It’s unclear when he might return, but hopefully he’ll get back before his momentum disappears.

Patrick Bailey

This Week (MLB): .250/.250/.417 – 6-24, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 0 BB, 10 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): .216/.317/.353 – 11-51, 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 BB, 15 SO, 1-1 SB-SBA

Season (MLB): .308/.333/.500 – 8-26, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 BB, 7 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA

Just like Schmitt, Bailey’s honeymoon is wearing off in the Majors.  The most curious thing is that he’s hitting far better as a right hander so far, but that’s mostly small sample size.  I expect Bailey will be back in AAA once Bart comes back, because he still has work to do, but you can’t consider this MLB debut anything but a success.

Carter Howell

This Week (High-A): .458/.500/.583 – 11-24, 1 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1-2 SB-SBA

Season (Low-A): .337/.398/.500 – 60-178, 9 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 17 BB, 39 SO, 8-11 SB-SBA

Season (High-A): .458/.500/.583 – 11-24, 1 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1-2 SB-SBA

Carter Howell has gone from undrafted signing to High-A after just a couple of months, and now not just that, but he’s now also got a California League Player of the Month title to go with it.  All that, and Howell continues to hit at his new level, with the small sample size asterisk attached.  Two months into the season, Howell has made a statement.

Hayden Birdsong

This Week (Low-A): 10.80 ERA, 1.80 WHIP – 3.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 6 SO

Season (Low-A): 2.67 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, .220 Avg – 10 G, 10 GS, 33.2 IP, 28 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 0 HR, 20 BB, 59 SO

It was a rough week for Hayden Birdsong, but so far his season as been one of the under-the-radar successes in the Giants farm system, with nearly three strikeouts to every walk he’s handed out.  Hopefully we’ll see Birdsong get back to the domination he had early on as we get into June.