Compared to most franchises around Major League Baseball, the Giants’ farm system is relatively thin on highly touted prospects and coveted talents.
In many ways, the Giants’ lack of organizational depth is the result of the franchise’s all-out World Series pursuits from early in the decade, but regardless, it’s impossible to ignore the fact San Francisco simply hasn’t drafted and developed as many top quality prospects over the past few seasons.
Nevertheless, the following exercise was created to evaluate the homegrown talent the Giants do have, and to offer a glimpse into what the future holds for many of the franchise’s young marquee talents. By looking at what an entire 25-man roster of hand-selected players, we can gauge the long-term outlook the Giants have within their organization, and also highlight the work new Vice President of Player Development David Bell has ahead of him.
Who are the Giants’ top homegrown players at each position? Who are the prospects fans should keep an eye on down the road? We’ll start this two-part series by looking at position players.
Catcher: Buster Posey — The Giants selected Posey with the No. 5 pick in the 2008 draft out of Florida State, and he’s on the fast track to becoming a Hall of Famer. A three-time World Series champion, a five-time All-Star, a Gold Glove Award winner and an MVP, Posey is already one of the most important players in franchise history and he’ll be just 31 years old at the start of next season. Posey is, without a doubt, one of the greatest homegrown talents in Giants’ history.
Catcher of the future? Aramis Garcia — The No. 8 prospect in the Giants’ farm system, Garcia will represent the organization in the Arizona Fall League Fall-Stars game on Saturday. A second round draft pick who has struggled with injuries at the Minor League level, Garcia is the most promising catching prospect the Giants have at their disposal. It’s possible he could be ready to join the Major League roster by the end of the 2018 season, but a 2019 arrival is more likely if he continues to progress.
1st Base: Brandon Belt — A fifth round draft choice of the Giants in 2009, Belt is a two-time World Series champion with a Gold Glove-caliber ability to pick it at first base. Outside of Hunter Strickland, there might not be a more controversial player on the Giants’ roster when it comes to fan opinion, but the bottom line is that advanced metrics like Belt and if the Giants were to deal him away, it would almost certainly create more questions and answers. Fans will always want more pop out of Belt’s bat, but he was on pace to set a new career-high in home runs before a concussion ended his 2017 season two months early.
1st Baseman of the future? Chris Shaw — The Giants asked Shaw to shift to the outfield last season, but the franchise’s No. 2 prospect is a more natural first baseman and might not have the range to play outfield effectively in the Major Leagues. The real reason the Giants are so high on Shaw, though, is his power bat. A 2015 first round draft choice out of Boston College, Shaw pummeled Cape Cod League pitching as a collegiate player and mashed 24 home runs over two levels last season. Will his left-handed bat play at AT&T Park? That’s the Giants’ great hope.
2nd Base: Joe Panik — Panik was considered a “reach” when the Giants took him 29th overall in the 2011 Major League Draft, but so far, it’s looked like a wise decision. A prototypical No. 2 hitter, Panik’s bat may play better in the seven or eight-hole if the Giants add some power to the lineup this offseason. Still, he’s as good of a contact hitter as there is in baseball and his career .282 batting average would be much higher if not for an injury-plagued 2016 season in which he posted a .239 mark for the whole season.
2nd Baseman of the future? Miguel Gomez — Is Gomez capable of playing second base without becoming a defensive liability? That’s the biggest question mark for a player the Giants dubbed “Baby Panda” who has a switch-hitting approach that’s reminiscent of Pablo Sandoval’s earliest days at the Major League level. I’m a Gomez apologist even though his pitch selection is questionable at best, in large part because I think he’s an energetic force who has the type of gap-to-gap power that can really help a weak Giants’ offense.
Shortstop: Brandon Crawford — The Giants’ homegrown infield is quite impressive, in large part because of its defensive prowess which is aided significantly by the Gold Glove hands of Crawford. Though he’s probably not as strong of a hitter as San Francisco hoped he would become, Crawford’s defense is worth the price of admission for fans looking to watch players put on a clinic.
Shortstop of the future? Ryan Howard — Texas product C.J. Hinojosa is the higher rated prospect, and Hinojosa could start the season as the AAA Sacramento River Cats’ starting shortstop, but I prefer Howard’s bat and think there could be room for both players on the Major League roster as soon as 2019. Howard was a fifth round draft choice of the Giants in 2016, and while he isn’t necessarily going to have a future as a shortstop, he posted a .306 average for the San Jose Giants in the Cal League this season and will probably be underrated throughout his Minor League career. Howard might be a second baseman, and Hinojosa is probably a better shortstop prospect, but I felt compelled to pencil in Howard here.
3rd Baseman: Christian Arroyo — Arroyo wasn’t prepared for Major League pitching when the Giants called him up this season, but he may have performed better later in the season had he enjoyed another opportunity to play. Instead, though, Arroyo sustained a fractured hand in July that wiped out the second half of his season, and he now has lost time to make up for in winter ball and Spring Training. Expectations are through the roof for the top prospect in the Giants’ organization, and it could be increasingly challenging to live up to them if he struggles at the beginning of his next Major League stint. If the Giants sign a third baseman this offseason, it’s also possible Arroyo could find himself over at second base, but regardless of where he plays defensively, San Francisco will need Arroyo to produce at the plate.
3rd Baseman of the future? Jacob Gonzalez — The Giants’ second round draft choice in 2017, Gonzalez is the son of former Diamondbacks’ great Luis Gonzalez and looked the part at the plate in his first summer in professional baseball. Gonzalez is ranked as the Giants’ No. 14 prospect, but he could shoot up those rankings with a strong 2018 season in short season or A-ball. In the Arizona League, he showcased gap-to-gap power and hit .339 with 17 extra base hits over 46 games. Another good sign? He walked (17 times) nearly as much as he struck out (23 times).
Utility players: Ryder Jones and C.J. Hinojosa — I already mentioned Hinojosa in the shortstop category, but it’s worth mentioning he could also profile as a third baseman if he forces the issue with his bat. Jones, meanwhile, struggled tremendously to hit the breaking ball, or any pitches, for that matter during the second half of the season, and even gave manager Bruce Bochy reason to continue running Sandoval out at third base when the Giants’ season was hopeless. It’s easy to forget, though, that Jones is just 23 years old, and still has plenty of room left to improve. I spent some time in Sacramento this season and everyone on that team thinks Jones has the potential to be a great Major League player, so winter and spring will be key for his development.
Left Field: Jarrett Parker/Mac Williamson — At least for the time being, this spot belongs to the same two players who battled it out for the right to become San Francisco’s Opening Day starter in left field last spring. It’s almost impossible to envision a scenario in which the Giants would start the 2018 season with either Parker or Williamson in left field, but the organization needs power bats, and Parker and Williamson both possess that tool. It’s clear that San Francisco needs to do a much better job developing its depth in the outfield, and that goes for all three positions.
Left Fielder of the future? Heliot Ramos — The Giants’ first round draft choice in 2017, Ramos was drafted as a center fielder and has as much upside as any player in the farm system. Ramos obliterated the ball in the Arizona League this summer, smashing 23 extra base hits including six triples and six home runs in just 35 games. Keep in mind, he did all of that at the age of 17. San Francisco thinks Ramos is a five-tool player, but when he met with the media this summer, I thought he still looked like he had a lot of size to add to his already muscular frame. As a result, I don’t think Ramos sticks in center field, so I slipped him in here as a left fielder.
Center field: Steven Duggar — If not for an injury that sidelined him for the first half of the 2017 season, Duggar might have been the first player from San Francisco’s 2015 draft class to arrive at the Major League level. The Giants are high on Duggar for a number of reasons, a few of which include his above-average speed, his range as a center fielder, his mind for the game and his coachability. The biggest question mark surrounding Duggar is whether he’ll hit enough against Major League pitching to justify giving him a spot in the lineup, but the Giants appear intent on eventually giving him a shot.
Center fielder of the future? Bryan Reynolds — The Giants’ first overall selection in the 2016 MLB Draft, Reynolds projects as a better hitter than Duggar but might not be able to stick in center field. Reynolds has solid speed and is a good switch-hitter which makes him a nice leadoff candidate for the future, but he doesn’t have great arm strength and might never hit for power. Reynolds feels a bit like a ‘tweener to me, a prospect who has plenty of nice tools but lacks a ‘wow’ skill that would make him a clear-cut Major Leaguer.
Right field: Austin Slater — Slater was impressive in his rookie season with the Giants, assuming the starting left field job after San Francisco suffered through two months of misery at a position Bochy called a “black hole.” However, injury issues have plagued Slater throughout his professional career, and there are serious durability questions that may hinder his development. One thing the Giants like about Slater: At every level he’s played at, he’s made adjustments and become a quality presence in his team’s lineup. One thing they’d like him to work on? Hitting for power. He still has a bit of a “Stanford” approach at the plate which is common for line drive hitters coming of of the Cardinal program.
Right fielder of the future? Sandro Fabian — A Dominican Republic native who signed with the Giants in 2015, Fabian has a long way to go to reach the Major League level but he’s already showcased impressive tools that have put him on the franchise’s long-term radar. Fabian hit for power with A-Augusta in 2017, and he should transition well to High-A San Jose next season. Outside of Ramos, Fabian might be San Francisco’s most promising outfield prospect, but because he’s just 19, there’s plenty of time to move him along.
Bonus outfielder: Heath Quinn — A right-handed power hitter out of Samford University, Quinn jumped on the Giants’ radar with an outstanding 2015 summer in the Cape Cod League when he tormented pitchers playing for the Falmouth Commodores. Quinn struggled in San Jose last season and posted a high strikeout total and a low batting average, but it was probably the first time in his baseball career he’s dealt with adversity at the plate. There’s still a lot to like about Quinn’s tools as a hitter, and how he responds to that adversity in 2018 will go a long way toward determining his future.